I'd Carry a Plane for You (Season 2)
by JewWitch
Summary: ON HIATUS. The continued adventures of Kara and Alex Grey-Danvers, in my AU where they are a couple, not sisters. A re-visioning of the show if Kalex was canon, with some action and some gooey adorable sweetness all mixed together. And yes, there will also be Lena and Maggie because OMGZ. Girl drama is inevitable!
1. L-Corp

Hi Superfans!

As promised, I bring you season 2 of the grand adventures of Kara and Alex Grey-Danvers. We're picking up right after Myriad, as the popular vote for this was pretty strong. If I really truly had a strong opinion about where I wanted to pick up, I wouldn't have asked for a vote; but I was pretty happy to go either way, so enjoy the people's choice, lol. There will obviously be some degree of overlap with canon…and as you'd expect from me, plenty of Kalex fluff as well. There will also be tasty side dishes of Lena Luthor and Maggie Sawyer because DUH. Where it will go, you'll just have to wait and see!

Cheers,

JW

…

 **I'd Carry a Plane for You (Season 2)**

 **Chapter 1: L-Corp**

…

"Kara, hurry up! You're gonna miss the countdown!" Carter was on his knees three feet in front of the TV, far too riveted to sit normally on the couch. If it was even possible, he seemed more excited to see the launch of the first commercial spacecraft on TV than he had been about riding the first hovertrain.

In a blur of motion, Kara appeared beside Alex on the couch, holding a bowl of caramel popcorn and a soda without spilling a single drop, and smirking the way she did when she was in the company of people who knew her completely—knew her as Kara, and as Supergirl—and she could use her powers whenever she wanted, not just to save innocents from catastrophe. "Really dude? You think I'm gonna miss the countdown?" She grinned and raised an eyebrow. Carter grinned back.

"No," he shook his head. "I just wanted to get your attention."

"Ha ha. Ya little brat," Kara rolled her eyes and threw a couch cushion at him very lightly. Alex giggled. Then the newscaster announced the beginning of the Venture's launch countdown.

"Shh! Shut up!" Carter squealed, all his attention immediately back on the TV screen as the huge, sleek rocket began to power up, and blasted off into the ionosphere. "This is the coolest thing ever," he breathed in awe as the shot switched to a camera inside the Venture, showing its view of earth as the ship cleared the lower atmosphere, and the round shape of the planet came into view.

"Cooler than having Supergirl as your babysitter?" Kara teased, looking mildly insulted.

"Shh. Stop talking," he waved his hand at her without looking away from the screen.

"Guess that answers your question, huh?" Alex snickered, cuddling up to Kara's side and stealing a piece of her popcorn.

"I'm still cuter than a rocketship," Kara smirked, leaning into Alex and kissing her.

"Mmhmm," Alex agreed, twirling her fingers into Kara's blonde hair to pull her closer.

 _"No!"_ Carter shrieked, making Kara and Alex both jump in their seats. But before they could reprimand him for shouting, they saw the source of his distress: the Venture was spinning out of control, a huge fireball from one side lighting up the near-vacuum of the earth's outer atmosphere, just above the ozone layer. "They're going to crash! Kara, you can save them, right?" When the boy turned his head to look behind him, the blonde girl was already gone. Alex smiled at him reassuringly.

"I won't tell her you posed that as a question," she teased. Carter smiled weakly. He abandoned his front-and-center spot in front of the TV to sit beside Alex on the couch, unwilling to admit out loud how worried he was as they both watched the flicker of red and blue that was Supergirl fly into the shot on screen, pushing back against the nose of the huge rocket as it plummeted. She managed to level it out before it hit the ground, the same as she had done with Alex's plane, the night she came out to the world as Supergirl. Unlike that night, the Venture did not have an enormous body of water to land in, and Kara was smashed violently into the ground under the belly of the ship as she continued to push against the hull, all the way through the landing. Carter screamed and hid his face against Alex's arm.

"Carter, it's okay. She's fine, look. Everyone's fine." Alex nudged the little boy gently, hating to see him so distressed. He hadn't seen Kara do anything like this up close before. Cautiously, he lifted his head, and broke into a huge, beaming grin when he saw Kara pulling herself out of the rubble, standing up and dusting off with a big cheery smile and a wave to the passengers who were now applauding her.

"She did it," he breathed in awe. "She stopped a _rocket ship."_

"That's our girl," Alex nodded proudly.

…

When Ms. Grant got home and relieved them of babysitting duty, Kara and Alex didn't go back to their apartment, but straight to the DEO. They found Winn already there with J'onn and Astra, leading the DEO's tech team on a trial basis, as their Martian boss had been so impressed by the caliber of assistance he'd been giving them thus far.

"Hey, good, you're here," their friend nodded to them, looking up from his screen just long enough to acknowledge their presence. "Listen guys, this was definitely not an accident. If the hull was really weak enough to allow a breach of that magnitude, it would have happened _way_ before they hit atmo. They never would've made it off the ground."

"So we're saying this was sabotage?" Alex asked, going straight to Winn's desk and looking over his shoulder at the equations on the screen.

"And it gets better. Guess who was the only person to have a spot on the Venture, and not show up?"

"Who?" Kara raised an eyebrow curiously.

"Lena Luthor."

 _"Luthor?"_ Kara exclaimed in shock. "As in Lex Luthor?"

"His kid sister," Winn nodded. "Recently relocated from Metropolis to National City. Lex Luthor may be locked away for his next thirty-two lifetimes, but little sis is the new CEO of the Luthor Corporation and executor of all the family's financial holdings. Which is, like, a lot."

"Has she been in touch with Lex? Could he be feeding her orders?" Alex asked, putting a calming hand on Kara's shoulder as she saw her sweet girl going rigid with fury. Lex Luthor had almost killed her cousin, and that wasn't something she was going to forget.

"Not sure," Winn admitted. "I think this is a job"—

"For Supergirl?" Kara interrupted, clearly eager to take action.

"Er, no. Not exactly. More like a job for ace reporter Kara Danvers."

"What?" Kara whined, unenthusiastic at the prospect of a non-punching solution to any Luthor-related problems.

"That's actually a really good idea," Alex nodded. "You'll get a lot more information as a reporter covering the story of the Venture's explosion than you would if you show up all intimidating in your cape and boots. Unless you were planning violence to get her to talk?" Kara groaned and rolled her eyes.

"No…no violence," the blonde girl sighed reticently. "All right, all right. I mean, it probably is a good idea for me to cover this story for CatCo, for real. And if I can get any information about the Luthors without them knowing Supergirl is onto them, all the better."

"Promise you won't punch her?" Alex teased lightly, tugging on a lock of Kara's hair. "She's not the one who hurt Clark. For all we know, she could be an innocent in all this." Kara snorted.

"Not likely. But I guess she deserves the benefit of the doubt, just like anyone…no punching, okay? I promise."

"Thank you honey," Alex smirked, and kissed her.

"Hmmm," Kara sighed happily, leaning into Alex magnetically. "Should I promise again?"

"Please don't. I'm standing right here," Winn begged, turning red. Alex laughed.

"Okay, okay. Get out of here, ace. Go get the story." Kara winked at her, and with a tiny _whoosh_ in the air, she was gone.

…

The Luthor Corporation was housed in an elegant high-rise skyscraper, just like CatCo, but surprisingly understated. The wealth of the company—or, in this case, the Luthor family itself—was clear from the sleek décor, from the moment Kara stepped into the lobby; but it wasn't ostentatious as she'd expected. It was really rather minimalist, modern, with cool metallic finishes and smooth white tile. As she was ushered into the young CEO's office, Kara found herself straightening her glasses unnecessarily.

"Ms. Danvers I presume?" The young woman behind the desk was striking, with long black hair and clear ocean-grey eyes, the line of her red lipstick flawless against her pale skin. Kara couldn't help feeling slightly intimidated.

"You can call me Kara." The blonde girl stuck out her hand bravely, putting on a cheery smile. "Thank you so much for fitting me into your schedule, Ms. Luthor. I know how busy you are."

"It's my pleasure, Kara. And please call me Lena." Her handshake was warm, despite the cool look she gave off; and her smile was even warmer. Against her better judgment, Kara was immediately put at ease.

"All right, Lena," Kara nodded. "I'd like to ask you some questions about the spacecraft _Venture."_

"There's a perfectly reasonable explanation for why I wasn't on board," Lena said smoothly, obviously anticipating Kara's first question. "There was a last-minute emergency regarding the planning for a ceremony I'm holding tomorrow."

"What kind of ceremony?" Kara asked curiously.

"A re-naming ceremony. I'm re-branding my family's company, putting our resources toward the betterment of humanity. I've had my hands full, as you can imagine. I had to cancel my spot on the Venture."

"Lucky," Kara nodded, raising an eyebrow curiously. Lena gave a half-hearted laugh.

"Lucky is Supergirl saving the day," she shook her head. Kara felt herself blush unwillingly. People fawned all over her every day when she was in her Supergirl suit; why did a word of praise from this total stranger mean anything to her? Was it really just because she was pretty and powerful? Kara didn't want to think that. Maybe it was just the surprise of it? She'd expected a frosty, even hostile reception from the youngest Luthor; not this earnestness and praise.

"That's not something I'd expect a Luthor to say," Kara noted carefully. Lena gave a little snort, and looked back at her papers.

"Look, I have a very busy schedule here as you can see. Can we speed this interview along? Just ask me what you want to ask me, Kara." The young CEO looked back up from her desk, giving the blonde reporter a carefully measured gaze. "Did I have anything to do with the Venture explosion?"

"Did you?" Kara replied calmly, not missing a beat. Blue and grey eyes assessed each other silently for a moment.

"You wouldn't be asking me that question if my last name was Smith."

"But it's not," Kara pointed out, quiet but resolute. She was not going to be charmed out of getting her questions answered. Lena raised an eyebrow, her look almost approving.

"Do I detect some steel under that girl-next-door, 'I'm so sweet cotton candy won't melt in my mouth' façade?" Kara felt herself blushing again, but managed to keep her expression indifferent. Was this flirting? Was she just imagining it? Why would this gorgeous, world-beating executive be flirting with her? But if she _wasn't_ flirting, then why did Kara feel so uncomfortable?

"Just doing my job," the blonde girl shrugged impassively. "The public deserves the truth."

"Indeed." Lena smiled a little sadly. "Well let me put your fears to rest—I'm not a 'real' Luthor at all, as my mother will be the first to tell you. I was adopted by the Luthors when I was four."

"Oh…" Kara trailed off awkwardly, suddenly ashamed of all the assumptions she'd made.

"Yes, well. My mother never missed a chance to remind me that I'm not 'really' her child," Lena shrugged, busying herself with her paperwork again. "The only one who ever made me feel I belonged was Lex…he was the big brother I had only dreamed of. He always encouraged me, always made me feel special. But then he went on his reign of terror…" Melancholy tinged the youngest Luthor's expression, and she gazed out the window absently as she spoke of her family. Kara pushed her glasses down her nose and hastily scanned the room with her x-ray vision while Lena wasn't looking, hoping to find some clue, anything suspicious. But there was nothing.

"When Superman put Lex in jail, I vowed to take back my family's company. Use it to help the world rather than exploit it. That's all I want to do, Kara. That's why I'm re-naming it L-Corp. Make it a force for good. I'm just a woman trying to make a name for herself outside her family." Lena's sharp grey eyes were on Kara again, and the blonde girl couldn't deny the sincerity she saw there.

"I understand," Kara nodded, with a sympathetic smile. "I was adopted, too, when I was thirteen…after my parents died in an explosion."

"Oh…I'm so terribly sorry," Lena said earnestly.

"No, no, it's all right. It was a long time ago. And my foster parents gave me a great life."

"Even so," Lena shook her head. "I can't even remember my biological family; I was only four when I became a Luthor. You, though…you must remember everything. That's got to be hard." Lena looked at Kara with such genuine compassion, the blonde girl felt briefly like she was the one being x-rayed.

"Yeah…I guess," Kara gulped awkwardly. "But, um—that's not what I came here to talk about."

"Oh, I know," Lena nodded coolly, switching gears without missing a beat. "You're here because a subsidiary of my company made the faulty part that exploded on the Venture." Kara was temporarily too stunned to speak—she had _not_ known that at all. But she managed to keep her face impassive as Lena opened a drawer in her desk, and rummaged around until she came up with a thumb drive, which she held out to Kara across the desk. "This drive contains all the information we have on the oscillator. I hope it helps your investigation."

"Oh! …Thank you," Kara took the thumb drive in surprise. She had definitely not been expecting this level of cooperation from her suspect.

"Give me a chance, Ms. Danvers. We both know what it's like to need a fresh start in life. That's all I'm looking for." Kara felt slightly uncomfortable again under Lena's sharp gaze, still unsure whether or not this was flirting. She decided to play it safe and make sure she was extra-clear on her part.

"I understand," she nodded, giving Lena her best cheery smile. "And it's Grey-Danvers, actually." She held up her hand to show off her sparkling silver ring, covered in tiny Kryptonese writing. "I just use my maiden name for publishing, because I was already an established journalist before I got married. Ms. Grant says changing your pen name mid-career is the kiss of death." She smiled a little sheepishly.

"Of course, I'm so sorry," Lena said smoothly, with a flattering smile. "Your husband is a lucky man." _Houston, we have a positive confirmation for flirting._

"Wife, actually. And I'm the lucky one. I'd be half a person without her." Kara's grin widened as she thought of Alex, just the glint in her dark eyes when they smiled at each other, that made Kara feel like they were the only two people alive. That was all it took to reel her in, every time.

"Well I just hope I'll be that lucky some day," Lena smiled a little wistfully. "Here, let me show you out." Kara followed the gracious young executive through the labyrinthine halls of the Luthor Corporation—L-Corp, now. Lena seemed so earnest and genuine and good…Kara wanted to believe her, believe in her truthfulness. But…she _was_ a Luthor, regardless. And Kara couldn't forget what had happened the last time a Zor-El trusted a Luthor. She was lost in thought all the way back to the DEO.

…

When she returned to DEO headquarters, Kara went straight to Winn's desk, handing over the thumb drive for analysis. Alex, ever the science geek, came straight over to see the Venture's full design specs, her curiosity piqued by the unexpected access they now had to the state-of-the-art marvel of engineering. When Winn opened the thumb drive, the first thing that popped up was a photo of Lena.

 _"That's_ Lena Luthor?" Alex squeaked, her voice unnaturally shrill. "Holy _fuck!"_

"What?" Kara asked obliviously.

"I guess you just forgot to tell me she's stupid-hot!" the dark-haired girl exclaimed indignantly.

"What does _that_ matter?" Kara frowned in confusion.

"Dude, no. Mayday, mayday," Winn hissed in her ear. "You're not supposed to agree she's hot, you're supposed to say you didn't notice!" Alex glared at him. "Right…" Winn cleared his throat sheepishly, closing the drive and pulling it out of the port. "Well, I'll just go study this—somewhere else."

"Lexie…are you _jealous?"_ Kara laughed as Winn scurried out of the room, realizing almost before the words were out of her mouth that this was perhaps not the best approach.

"Jealous? Of the brilliant billionaire CEO who looks like a Calvin Klein underwear model? Why would I be jealous of _that?"_ Alex asked sarcastically, running a hand impatiently through her hair as her face went red.

"Don't be stupid," Kara shook her head, grinning widely as she wrapped her arms around her favorite person in the whole entire universe, pulling her close and pressing their foreheads together. _"You_ are the cherry on my ice cream sundae, Alex. No one else. Even when you're being an idiot."

"You're not getting sick of me?" Alex asked, in a small, uncertain voice that no one but Kara would ever hear. "You're not bored with being married?"

"No, baby. Having all my dreams come true has definitely not been boring," Kara smiled, sweeping a hand through Alex's dark red hair and stroking her cheek. "And you have no reason to be jealous of anyone, ever, you big dummy. You're not the only beautiful girl in the world, Alexandra Grey-Danvers…but you _are_ the only one who gets to walk around all day holding onto a piece of me, wherever you go. You have my heart in your pocket…you know that."

"Are you mad that you had to remind me?" Alex asked sheepishly.

"Nu-uh," Kara shook her head, a goofy grin spreading across her face. "Are you mad that I kind of like how jealous you got?"

"Nope," Alex grinned back, wrapping her arms around Kara's neck and kissing her.

Feeling guilty about the way she'd frightened Winn out of his own office with her outburst, Alex went to find their friend and bring him back to his desk; but she didn't have to go far, as he almost ran her down in the doorway. "Jeez! Too much Red Bull, dude?" Alex asked, raising an eyebrow at his flustered appearance.

"Shut up, I found something," Winn shook his head, brandishing the thumb drive in his hand. "The faulty oscillator that exploded—it was housed directly under the passenger cabin. Specifically, seat 23B. Guess who was supposed to be in seat 23B?"

"Lena Luthor." Kara crossed her arms, the playful grin of moments ago sliding instantly off her face.

"She wasn't behind the sabotage…she was the target," Alex said slowly, in dawning realization.

"Guess I'm going back to L-Corp," Kara sighed. She didn't know exactly what she was looking for, but she did know that whoever was behind the attempted assassination wasn't about to just walk away.

Shedding her work clothes in an instant, Kara was a blur of red and blue as she streaked across the National City skyline, reaching the L-Corp building just in time to see a helicopter being attacked by drones as it was taking off from the roof. A flash of x-ray vision confirmed that Lena was inside the helicopter; she looked terrified. With no hesitation, Kara bolted across the sky, putting herself between the helicopter and the drone as it let loose a barrage of gunfire. The bullets bounced harmlessly off her chest. But then another drone appeared out of nowhere, blasting her out of the sky with a deadly-looking heat-seeking missile. The blast was powerful, knocking Kara out for a moment as she crashed backwards into the landing pad on the L-Corp roof. But it was only a moment before she was in the sky again, just in time to see the drones take out the helicopter's engines. As it spiraled out of control, Kara narrowed her eyes in determination, blasting the drones out of the sky one by one with her laser vision before shooting down to catch the helicopter, and returning it safely to the landing pad.

"It's okay, you're safe now," Kara smiled, slightly winded as she pulled the smoking door off the helicopter so Lena and the pilot could get out.

"Supergirl…that was amazing," Lena beamed, taking Kara's hand as she hopped down from the battered helicopter. "Well, actually it was horrible—but it was amazing."

"I'm just glad you're okay," Kara shrugged modestly. Was it wrong that she was enjoying Lena's praise and attention a little too much? Who _wouldn't_ enjoy it? It was just a bit of harmless flattery.

"Someone's trying to kill me, aren't they?" The young CEO asked quietly.

"Yes," Kara nodded in return, all business again as the subject turned back to the matter at hand.

"It's my brother Lex," Lena said sadly. "God forbid a Luthor try to do something positive with our huge piles of money…"

"Don't worry, Ms. Luthor. No one is going to lay a hand on you as long as I'm around," Kara promised. The melancholic expression disappeared from Lena's face as she squeezed Kara's arm gratefully.

"Please call me Lena," she smiled.

"Okay…Lena," Kara nodded, grinning shyly. "I have to go now, but please don't worry. I'll be back when you need me," the blonde superhero promised.

"What if I need you right now?" Lena asked boldly, raising an elegant eyebrow. Kara could hear Winn's voice hissing _mayday, mayday!_ in her ear. This was definitely, officially no longer 'harmless flattery.' And as much as Kara was enjoying the solicitous attention, she definitely did not want to give this woman the wrong idea.

"I'll be back," Kara repeated with a small smile. Then she took off into the sky again, with one of the destroyed drones in her arms.

…...

Back at the DEO, Winn, Alex and Astra tore the destroyed drone apart in search of any clues of its origin. Alex was able to lift a partial fingerprint off the casing, and Winn ran it through the FBI's database (he was definitely enjoying the unfettered access to powerful technology that came with working in the DEO). J'onn identified the suspect: Jon Corbin, notorious international assassin.

"If you want someone high-profile killed, this is your guy," their Martian boss frowned seriously.

"Who would stand to gain by killing the human Lena Luthor?" Astra asked. She was determined to prove her loyalty to her new earthly family, after putting everything on the line to join their side; to prove to her niece that she could be trusted.

"She told Kara it was her brother. Lex Luthor," Alex frowned, looking over the file on Corbin. "Seems hard to refute."

"Hey, where _is_ Kara?" Winn frowned, looking up from his computer screen quizzically.

"At City Center, trying to talk Lena out of going through with the re-naming ceremony," Alex sighed grumpily. "Seems she's just as stubborn as her brother."

"We'll send a team to meet her," J'onn nodded. "This Corbin doesn't seem to care how many innocents get hurt, as long as he acquires his target."

"Yeah, well you don't have to worry about that. Kara won't leave as long as she thinks Lena's in danger." J'onn raised an eyebrow at Alex's sullen tone; but he didn't say anything.

"All right," he nodded seriously. "Beta team, suit up. You're on point, Alex."

While Alex and her team were deploying, Kara was back in her civilian clothes, talking to Lena as Kara Danvers rather than Supergirl as they oversaw the preparations at City Center. Lena looked over the sparse crowd with a bittersweet little smile. "You know, my brother is serving thirty-two consecutive life sentences…I guess I shouldn't be surprised there isn't a bigger turnout."

"You're taking an awful risk, you know," Kara said again stubbornly. "Going ahead with the re-naming ceremony when there's an international assassin on your tail."

"I won't _have_ a life unless I can turn this company into something positive," Lena replied just as stubbornly. "…All it will be remembered for is Lex's madness." Kara looked at her new friend thoughtfully, unable to come up with any further counter-argument. Lena gave her a little wink before climbing the stairs up to the stage, and Kara smiled despite herself.

"I want to thank you all for being here today," Lena said into the microphone, looking out over the modest crowd. "My brother has hurt so many innocent people…my family owes a great debt, not just to Metropolis, but to everyone. That's why I'm re-naming the Luthor Corporation to L-Corp—to commit to a different future. To cooperation and community. To usher in a brighter age for humanity, together."

"She's a smooth talker, huh?" Alex said quietly as she came up beside Kara, scoping out the open city square for any sign of a threat.

"Not as smooth as you, babe," Kara grinned, with a little wink. Alex grinned back, her cheeks flooding with color. Then a massive explosion knocked them both off their feet, as the crowd descended into screaming and pandemonium.

"Go," Alex nodded at the urgent look in Kara's blue eyes. Without bothering to reply, Kara took off like a shot to super-up, reappearing moments later as a huge chunk of the L-Corp building crumbled, and putting herself between the falling hunks of concrete and a group of civilians on the ground. There was so much falling debris, Kara darted manically around the building, trying to protect the people on the ground; but there was simply too much for her to tackle alone. And the building was beginning to wobble dangerously. Hastily, Kara zoomed up under the tilting side, pushing it back into place. She couldn't hold it up by herself; not indefinitely. And she couldn't fix it while holding it up at the same time.

"J'onn!" She yelled, tapping hastily at her Bluetooth earring. "I need some backup here! The building is about to collapse!" Moments later, she felt a whoosh of motion beside her; and there was her aunt, pushing back against the falling building alongside her.

"Astra!" Kara beamed, smiling hugely even in the midst of the chaos. "I thought J'onn would come."

"The Martian J'onn J'onnz has granted me probationary field duty," Astra said proudly, in her overly-serious, quintessentially Kryptonian way of speaking. Kara liked hearing it; it reminded her of home, even if that home now felt alien to her in a way. It was good to feel connected again, after all this time. "What would you have me do, Kara?"

"Stay here. Don't let the building fall," Kara instructed, tentatively taking her hands off the wall to make sure it would stay in place with only Astra holding it. "I'm going to fix the foundation. Don't move." Astra nodded, and Kara took off.

While Kara was busy saving the building, Lena became caught up in the chaos on the ground, just trying to avoid being trampled or crushed to death. A police officer appeared in front of her, and she gasped in relief.

"Officer, thank God," the young CEO panted; but then her eyes went wide in horror as he pointed his gun at her, and she realized this man was not a policeman at all. She was frozen, too scared to move; there was no point. He was six feet away from her. She wasn't going to outrun a gunshot.

Just as Lena accepted in her heart that she was about to die, Alex appeared out of the smoke and kicked the gun out of Corbin's hands. Lena watched in stunned silence as Alex and Corbin fought, their movements so rapid that Lena could barely tell who was winning. In the end, Alex smashed the mercenary face-first into the pavement, breaking his nose and knocking him out in an instant. She knelt over his body and cuffed him while Lena just stared in awe.

"You—he—you saved my life," she panted, smiling gratefully at Alex as the latter stood up and dusted off her knees. "Thank you…Agent…?"

"Grey-Danvers. FBI," Alex said smoothly, her fake ID second nature by now as she stuck out her hand.

"Oh! You must be Kara's wife, then?" Lena beamed at her and squeezed her hand gratefully. "I saw you standing with her just before the explosion…oh God, is she all right?"

"She's fine. Supergirl got her to safety," Alex nodded with a little grin.

"Please tell her thank you from me…I owe her my life. Both of you." Lena's smile was so sincere, Alex started to feel guilty for her childishly jealous behavior. Lena Luthor was a nice person. And Kara deserved to have friends outside the crazy, alien-invasion-filled world of the DEO.

"I have a better idea…how about you tell her yourself?" A minute later, Kara landed lightly beside them, covered in soot but smiling.

"The building is secured. Is everyone all right?" the blonde girl asked brightly, looking over them both to check for injuries.

"We're fine. Thank you for everything, Supergirl," Lena beamed. Then, to Alex, "I suppose I'll see you for game night, then?" Kara's eyebrows shot up in disbelief as she looked at Alex. Did she really invite Lena to game night?

"Yup," Alex nodded, catching Kara's eye with a goofy grin. Lena Luthor at game night…Kara wondered if billionaire CEOs ate pizza and potstickers, and knew how to play Settlers of Catan. Once they'd ensured that Lena was safe, and Corbin was loaded into the heavily armed police ambulance, Kara pulled Alex aside, rubbing a smudge of soot off her nose with a beaming smile.

"So you invited Lena to game night, huh?"

"She seems kind of lonely…and she did just move here. I thought she could use a few new friends."

"How philanthropic of you," Kara teased, pulling Alex close and breathing her in. It always helped her stay grounded after a big fight to be close to Alex, in any way she could.

"Yeah, well. I like to give back," Alex smirked, wrapping her arms around Kara's neck after glancing quickly around to make sure they were really secluded.

"Me too," Kara grinned, and kissed her. National City was safe for another day.


	2. Take Back America

Hello darling Superfans!

So psyched to have so many peeps on board already! It seems like I need to clarify more explicitly the timeline from the end of the last story, to the start of this one: yes, Alex was pregnant at the end of the last story. Because the last chapter was an epilogue set three years in the future. Now, we are back in the present. That's all! That glimpse into the future remains in the future. I hope that clears up any confusion.

So now, on with the show! I am really super excited about the plot arc I have devised for this season; since I am not at all going to be following the main plot arc of the show, I really can't, because I'm not including Mon-El in my story. I don't hate him—I just don't have room for him. So that wipes out the whole big plot arc for the season. But I am sooooo very happy with the season-long plot arc I came up with to replace it! I think it's way better. You'll have to let me know if you agree. :)

—JW

…

 **I'd Carry a Plane for You (Season 2)**

 **Chapter 2: Take Back America**

…...

"In all my travels across two galaxies and dozens of planets…I have never tasted anything quite like this. What name did you give this food?"

"Pizza." Kara grinned in childish pleasure at her aunt's reaction to her first bite of pizza, one of Earth's greatest assets in the blonde girl's opinion. "It's one of my favorite things, too."

"As well it should be," Astra agreed, taking another slice from the box. Alex snickered, watching Astra's amazement and Kara's delight, glad they had ordered four pizzas with the hope that she would at least get a couple of slices.

"Don't forget to try a potsticker, too," Kara reminded her aunt, pushing another open takeout container across the table. "It's my other favorite food. You'll love it." Astra assessed the potstickers with a serious expression of scrutiny; they didn't look so special, just little white blobs of dough. "Trust me," Kara smiled, impatient to see her aunt react to another beloved staple of her life on Earth.

"Your advice has never lead me astray, little one," the older Kryptonian said, in her usual, overly-formal manner; and she bravely picked up a potsticker. When her face lit up with euphoria, Kara beamed.

"Thank you for sharing these delicacies with me. It almost causes me not to yearn for your grandmother's roast Kep-Mok," Astra grinned at them, reaching for another potsticker.

"Do I even want to know?" Alex asked teasingly, sneaking a potsticker onto her plate before they all vanished.

"It's basically a giant beetle," Kara admitted sheepishly, opening a fresh can of Coke and another pizza box. "I know that probably sounds horrifying. But if I put it in front of you and you didn't know what it was, I guarantee you'd like it." Alex snorted.

"If you say so, babe. I'm just glad that will stay one of the great unanswered questions of our lives."

"Ha ha," Kara smirked sarcastically, scrunching up her nose and making a teasing face at Alex's childish expression of disgust. Alex leaned in and stole a kiss, making Kara forget her food for a moment—no easy feat. Astra watched them and smiled. It had been a long time since she'd been inside a real home, eating a normal dinner with family, just like a normal person.

"You honor me with this invitation, young ones. I regret that I cannot return the courtesy. Unless it would please you to join me for a meal of military rations in the DEO mess hall." Astra smirked a little, and Alex burst out laughing.

"Oh my God, was that _actual_ sarcasm? You're becoming more human every day, Astra."

"I have made note of the social habits of this planet over the past months, Alexah," Astra nodded, all seriousness again. "It has become clear that satire and irony are a crucial component of interpersonal relationships on Earth. I wish to adapt appropriately."

"Just keep eating pizza. The rest will take care of itself," Kara advised, grinning from ear to ear as she helped herself to another slice.

"Kara was pretty awkward her first year on earth, too, you know," Alex nodded, smirking as a few funny memories popped to the front of her mind. "Don't worry, you'll get there."

"Would you share an example with me?" Astra raised an eyebrow curiously.

"Only if you tell me a story about when she was little, on Krypton," Alex replied smoothly, her eager expression clearly showing that she had thought about this topic before.

"Hey," Kara whined, turning red. "Why am I the only one who has to get embarrassed?"

"Because you're the cutest," Alex replied without missing a beat, kissing her pouting blondie before she could argue any more.

"Stop being charming, it's not fair," Kara sighed; but she was smiling.

Before anyone could think of any embarrassing childhood stories of Kara to tell, however, a special news bulletin flashed across the TV, catching all their attention. They had the sound muted; but the text bar across the bottom of the screen read _Breaking:_ _Mystery Man Attacks Alien Population of National City_ , and above that, they saw a man—if indeed he _was_ a man, and not some sort of cyborg—in some kind of metal suit, with a huge, glowing green energy source of some kind in the center of his chest. He was blasting indiscriminately at alien civilians, all of whom were running for their lives.

"That's Lyra's bar!" Kara gasped, jumping to her feet and dropping her half-eaten pizza.

"Who is that man? What is his purpose in attacking aliens?" Astra asked, noting the way Kara and Alex had both leapt to action in an instant.

"I don't know," Kara shook her head, tearing her gaze away from the screen to look back at her aunt's confused expression. "But we're going to stop him. Come on." Astra nodded and stood up, regretfully abandoning her pizza.

"Go. I'll call in to the DEO and mobilize a team. We'll meet you there," Alex said briskly, all business now as she grabbed her DEO phone and her favorite proton blaster gun. She didn't know what exactly they were dealing with—was this guy human, alien, cyborg?—but whatever the case, it didn't look like bullets would have much impact on his metal suit. "Stay safe, Kar. We don't know anything about this fucker."

"I'll be careful," Kara nodded, leaning in and sealing her promise with a kiss; and then with a whoosh, she was out the window, Astra close behind her.

"How shall we fight this man when we know nothing of his capabilities?" Astra shouted through the wind as they streaked across the night sky.

"We'll figure it out. The only thing that matters is to stop him from hurting anyone," Kara yelled back, assessing her aunt's curious, but focused expression. Was Astra really ready for this kind of field duty, protecting the innocent at all costs?

"This man—he is attacking only aliens?" The older Kryptonian asked.

"Apparently," Kara agreed, spotting the alien bar in the distance and pushing herself to fly faster, as blasts of green light emanated from inside. People were pouring out into the street in a panicked mob.

"And the DEO will take up arms against him? To defend the aliens?"

"Of course!" Kara yelled impatiently, turning to look over at her aunt's curious expression through the whipping wind. Astra nodded, apparently satisfied with this answer as she didn't ask any further questions. They shot straight through the roof of the bar, landing right in the middle of the attack; and Kara put herself between the mysterious assassin, and an old man with gills on the sides of his neck, who stood frozen and terrified. The glowing green energy ray caught her squarely in the chest, blasting her across the length of the bar and smashing her through a wall. Everything became blurry as the room pulsed dizzily around her, all her muscles giving out in an instant. The glowing green blasts coming from the stranger's chest—it wasn't just some random energy source. It was Kryptonite.

"Astra…look out," Kara croaked hoarsely from the floor, her voice barely a whisper. "It's Kryptonite…" The mystery attacker followed Kara across the bar, standing over her smugly and watching her try fruitlessly to get up, her legs shaking far too much to hold her weight. Panting, Kara looked up at his malicious face…and gasped. "Corbin," she mumbled weakly. "But we sent you to jail…"

"Jon Corbin is dead," the man who had once been Lex Luthor's hired assassin said with relish. "I am Metallo." With a cruel, smug grin, he blasted Kara with another jolt of his Kryptonite ray, making her whole body seize and writhe in agony. She couldn't move, she couldn't even draw breath to scream. Was this how she was going to die, after everything she'd been through, everything she'd survived?

Then, suddenly, the endless agony of the Kryptonite ray vanished, and Astra was there, crashing into the cyborg-man and punching him so hard, he smashed through the ceiling and out of sight. Apparently he hadn't been expecting to take on _two_ Kryptonians. Kara knew he was too strong for one punch to defeat him; but he must have decided to retreat and regroup, because after Astra punched him through the ceiling, he didn't come back.

"Kara, are you all right?" Astra asked worriedly as she knelt down beside her niece, one hand hesitantly reaching out and resting on Kara's arm. The blonde girl flinched and screamed, and Astra jerked her hand back in alarm.

"Where's Alex…I need Alex," Kara panted weakly, trembling in pain on the floor, her eyes squeezed shut in agony. Her chest felt like it was collapsing; she couldn't get in a full breath.

"Alexah has not yet arrived. I will stay by your side until she is here, Kara. Do not fear," Astra said in a gentle voice, reminding Kara vividly of her childhood, when her aunt would soothe her from nightmares when her mother was working late at the magistrate court. Kara whimpered, trembling uncontrollably on the dirty floor of the wrecked bar. She couldn't stop the tears, the pain was so blinding; and she coughed violently, still unable to draw a full breath. Afraid to hurt her any further, Astra just sat quietly beside her and stroked her hair. That was how Alex found them a few minutes later, when she showed up with J'onn and the DEO strike team.

"Kara! Jesus, what happened?" Alex asked, skidding down onto her knees beside the two Kryptonians on the floor, her hands reaching out instinctually to pull the blonde girl into her arms.

"It w-was Corbin," Kara stuttered out, her body shaking uncontrollably with chills now. "He called himself…M-M-Metallo…and he h-had…Kryptonite…in his chest…" Kara trailed off into another wheezy coughing fit, shaking like a leaf in Alex's arms.

"Oh, honey, you're burning up…did you blow out your powers again?" Alex asked gently, smoothing Kara's hair back from her blazing hot face.

"Kryptonite…ray gun… _in his chest,"_ Kara ground out through clenched teeth, her breath still jagged and uneven.

"Okay, shh, I'm here bluebird, I got you…just breathe," Alex murmured soothingly, pulling something from her belt, and jabbing it into Kara's leg.

 _"Ow!"_ Kara yelped, jerking in Alex's arm at the unexpected jolt; but before she could demand an explanation, her whole body seized up in a flash of blinding heat…then she could feel her powers flooding back through her veins. "…Oh," she sighed dazedly, sitting up and rubbing her eyes as her breathing evened out, and her feverish shivering abruptly stopped. "What the hell did you just do, Lex?" Alex smiled in relief and held up the enormous needle she'd just stabbed Kara with.

"Mobile Kryptonian adrenalin shot. I made it for you after the last time your powers blew. I couldn't stop thinking about if it had happened when you were far away from the DEO, or trapped somewhere…you'd be so vulnerable, anything could happen. And I can't stand to see you suffer needlessly." Alex smiled, wiping a few tear tracks from Kara's flushed cheek. She wanted to kiss her, but there were still civilians all around them.

"You made me an alien EpiPen?" Kara asked woozily.

"Yep," Alex nodded, grinning shyly.

"You're the best, Lexie." Kara sighed and closed her eyes, dropping her head against Alex's shoulder. She had her powers back now; but she was still weakened with Kryptonite poisoning. Alex held her protectively and stroked her hair. Beside them, Astra was looking a little green, as well—she hadn't been shot with the Kryptonite beam directly, but even being near it was enough to sap her strength.

"C'mon, all Kryptonians back to the DEO. You both need some sunshine, stat." Kara stumbled unsteadily to her feet without a word of argument, allowing Alex to half-lead, half-carry her to the DEO Humvee parked outside the bar, watching Astra get into the second car with the communications team and take off. Before Alex could follow her wife into the car, however, her attention was caught by a civilian snooping around their crime scene—a young woman in tight jeans and a leather jacket, standing over Agent Lowe's shoulder and inspecting his work as he bagged up material evidence from "Metallo's" suit of Kryptonite armor.

"Just hang tight here for a sec, okay baby? I'll be right back," Alex frowned, intent on removing this unauthorized person from her crime scene before all their evidence was contaminated. Kara groaned and pouted up at her wife with her rarely used, sad-orphan-puppy eyes.

 _"Lexiiie_ , I wanna get out of here," the blonde girl whined, curling up against the leather seat of the Humvee and dropping her head back in exhaustion.

"I know Kar, shh, don't pout. I promise I'll just be a minute." Alex gave her cranky blonde alien a reassuring smile and a little wink, and walked away before Kara had another chance to protest. The dark-haired girl hated to do anything to prolong her poor little beat-up alien's suffering; but if their crime scene was contaminated, Kara would only be more vulnerable to further attacks from this cybernetic psycho.

"Hey!" Alex called impatiently to the nosy woman who was getting in the way of her investigation, not to mention pulling her away from her blonde angel when she was hurt and cranky. "What the hell do you think you're doing in my crime scene?"

"Anyone ever tell you all you feds sound the same?" The woman replied coolly, not seeming at all worried about being in trouble for interfering with a federal investigation. "It's like you all watch the same bad movies together at Quantico." She stood up and dusted off her knees, cocking her head to the side as she struck a commanding pose with her hand on her hip. _Obviously_ a cop—she just thought every crime scene was hers to tear apart. Alex scowled impatiently. She did _not_ have time for this.

"Cut the crap. Who are you?" Alex demanded, her voice calm and authoritative at the same time. The woman just raised one eyebrow, and for a moment Alex thought she wasn't going to answer. Who the hell did this cocky jerk think she was?

"Detective Maggie Sawyer," she said finally, pulling out her badge. "NCPD science division."

"Science division?" Alex raised an eyebrow skeptically.

"We handle all cases involving aliens and things that go bump in the night," Maggie said smoothly, still with that infuriatingly smug expression that said she knew things Alex didn't. Or at least, she thought she did. "So, I showed you mine…now show me yours." She flashed a sexy little grin. Alex bristled. Was this cocky fucker actually _flirting_ with her?

"Alex Grey-Danvers, FBI special investigations," she replied briskly, pulling out her fake ID and flashing it impatiently at this presumptuous cop. "I'm sure you mean well, detective, but this is a federal crime scene. And you're contaminating my evidence. I have to ask you to vacate the premises immediately."

 _"I'm_ contaminating evidence?" Maggie snorted impatiently. "Your lackey over there is bagging charred carpet and crispy limo into the same Ziploc." She raised an eyebrow smugly. "I thought the FBI would pay closer attention to detail."

"Listen, SuperCop. We have technology that makes your city PD lab look like an easy-bake oven," Alex sneered, impatient to get back to Kara, and annoyed by this presumptuous cop who was unabashedly flouting her authority.

"And us dumb local cops would never deduce that the assailant was targeting Kryptonians," Maggie replied coolly, crossing her arms and raising an eyebrow in challenge. "I have three eyewitness reports already. Mystery man who blasts green energy jets from his chest, capable of dropping Supergirl in one blow? That's Kryptonite. And it only kills Kryptonians."

"Thank you for the tutorial," Alex said calmly, her voice dripping with sarcasm. "We'll take it from here."

"Your crime scene is within my jurisdiction," Maggie replied stubbornly, obviously unwilling to defer to any external authority without a fight. Alex couldn't help respecting that attitude; the best cops were the ones who cared so much about their city, they'd risk being written up for insubordination just stay at the crime scene. But it wasn't helping anyone in this case. This was a DEO matter, NCPD was _not_ prepared to handle it. Not even with their little "science division."

"Your jurisdiction ends where I say it does, _detective_ ," Alex said coolly, putting a heavy emphasis on Maggie's title to highlight the stark difference in their clearance levels. The mocha-skinned cop smirked and crossed her arms, looking back at Alex with one eyebrow raised in silent challenge.

 _"Heyyy,"_ Kara whined, limping over from the Humvee with one arm wrapped around her bruised ribs, and a cranky, exhausted expression on her pale face. "Can we please get out of here now? I _really_ don't want all these people to see me puke my guts out. Hello, kryptonite poisoning?" The blonde girl scowled indignantly, resentful of anything that was taking Alex's attention away from her when she was hurt and in pain.

"I know, I'm sorry," Alex sighed, one hand going automatically to Kara's back to steady her, even as she was mindful of how professional they had to be in front of strangers—this wasn't her wife Kara, this was _Supergirl_. At least as far as Maggie Sawyer and the NCPD were concerned. "Come on, let's go…Detective Sawyer here was just leaving."

"Nice to meet you, Supergirl. Are you alright?" Maggie asked, in a much gentler tone than she had used with Alex. Did she actually care about Supergirl's welfare, or was this just an act to get on their good side and avoid a formal reprimand?

"Not having my best day ever. But I'll live," Kara sighed, cranky and nauseous and yearning to drop her spinning head down on Alex's shoulder.

"A few hours of sunbathing should have you back on track, huh?" Maggie asked, and Alex scowled again. It was one thing to step on her toes at a crime scene; but _nobody_ overstepped Alex when it came to taking care of Kara.

"Like I said. We'll take it from here," Alex repeated authoritatively, giving the nosy cop a very unfriendly glare. Maggie just smirked and nodded, holding up her hands in a gesture of defeat.

"Okay. See you around." She walked off looking smug as you please, and Alex gave an impatient little growl under her breath.

"Can you believe the nerve of that girl?" she snarled indignantly.

"Do I have to throw up on you to get you to pay attention to me?" Kara whined miserably in return.

"I'm sorry, bluebird…I'm right here, I got you," Alex hummed lovingly, wrapping one arm around Kara's waist now that the nosy cop was gone, and leading her gently back to the Humvee. "She was screwing up the evidence…if we want a fighting chance to track Corbin down, we can't have some overconfident local cop getting in the way."

"Mm. Whatever," Kara grumbled moodily, wincing in pain as she crawled into the back seat of the Humvee, dropping her head dizzily against Alex's shoulder with a deep sigh.

"Are you really gonna puke?" the dark-haired girl asked gently, rubbing her miserable alien's back in light circles.

"Maybe."

"Want me to sing to you?"

"Uh-huh," Kara mumbled, pressing her face sulkily into Alex's hair. Both arms wrapped protectively around her cranky little superhero, Alex quietly began to sing every Kryptonian lullaby Kara had ever taught her, all the way back to the DEO.

…...

They ended up spending the whole night in the sunroom; Kara was really badly off this time, and there was no rushing a solar re-charge. Alex was just waking up when Winn came running in excitedly, overeager as always to share his latest breakthrough after studying the material evidence from the crime scene. Kara was still out cold, cuddled up snugly to Alex on the sunbed and snoring very softly. Astra was awake on the other sunbed, meditating quietly.

"Shh, don't wake her," Alex murmured, flashing Winn a warning look as she threaded her fingers protectively through Kara's blonde hair.

"What have you discovered, Agent Winslow Schott?" Astra asked quietly, her eyes opening instantly and looking completely alert. She certainly had the mental discipline and acuity of an intergalactic General; that was something that was bound to come in handy at the DEO.

"Corbin's suit—or, Metallo's suit, if that's what he's calling himself now—it's made of a Promethium-Kryptonite alloy. Same as Red Tornado," Winn addressed himself to Alex, knowing she would understand the implication of this discovery in an instant.

"So General Lane sent this thing," Alex growled softly, her hand resting protectively against the back of Kara's neck.

"And it gets better. J'onn just confirmed with Secret Service—General Lane is in town right now, with the president. Officially, on a speaking tour of the west coast."

"And unofficially?" Alex asked, in a tone that said she knew the answer already.

"Testing military anti-alien tech."

"And Corbin's their latest lab rat," Alex sighed, her fingers running soothingly through Kara's hair again, even though the blonde girl was still fast asleep. "I'm sure test subjects for cybernetic military modification aren't easy to come by…let alone one with assassin training. They probably offered Corbin some kind of immunity in exchange for his cooperation."

"Exactly," Winn nodded. "Only they couldn't keep their new pet on a leash, and he broke loose late last night. He definitely has his sights set on killing Kara…but he obviously doesn't care how many innocents get hurt along the way, any more than he did before he was transformed into a mutant cyborg alien-hunting machine."

"These military assholes never learn, do they?" Alex groaned.

"I do not understand," Astra shook her head, looking up at them in confusion from her sunbed. "Your government has created this monster to destroy aliens? The same government that funds the work of the DEO, to protect innocent aliens and humans alike?"

"Yeah, well, it was the _last_ president who gave us our biggest funding increase and the mandate to protect alien civilians, as well as containing alien threats," Alex explained quietly. "President Marsden. She's the one who signed the Alien Amnesty Act into law. She's the best president we've ever had in my lifetime. But our laws mandate that a president can't hold office for more than eight years…so she couldn't be elected again this year."

"And your new president is not sympathetic to the plight of alien refugees?" Astra asked innocently. Winn snorted, and Alex groaned.

"He's not sympathetic to the plight of _anyone_ but the ultra-rich and powerful," Winn assured her. "I still don't know how he got elected…people are saying the election was hacked by a foreign government. Donald Trump is a racist, sexist, xenophobic douchebag. So obviously he and General Lane were going to hit it off."

"This situation is troubling," Astra noted unnecessarily.

"No shit," Alex grumbled under her breath. "Okay, fine, we can handle this. Just like we handled Red Tornado. First thing's first—Astra, can you re-create those Kryptonite-resistant suits your army had? We're going to need them if Kara has any chance of defeating the cybernetic dickwad formerly known as Jon Corbin."

"I will try…but I cannot guarantee success," Astra admitted glumly. "The design was Non's, I had no part in the engineering. And all the design schematics were lost aboard Fort Rozz when Kara flew it into space."

"Winn, help her," Alex instructed. "This is priority one."

"No problem," Winn nodded eagerly. He raised his eyebrows in surprise when Astra climbed briskly off her sunbed to join him. "Oh! So, right now?"

"No, after the _next_ time Kara gets blasted half to death with Kryptonite poisoning," Alex said sarcastically.

"Okay, okay, sheesh! We're going. No need for dramatics," Winn rolled his eyes. "We won't let anything happen to Kara. You know that, right?"

"I'll know it when I see it," Alex replied a little coolly. Winn was their friend, but he was new to the DEO; he didn't have the formal training or the discipline that the rest of them had. And this was Kara's life on the line. Alex wasn't in the mood for jokes. Winn seemed to sense her shift in mood, and he just nodded briskly.

"Okay, let's go Astra. We've got a job to do." After they'd gone, Alex went back to stroking Kara's hair while she slept; and she must have fallen asleep again, too, because the next thing she knew, Kara was nuzzling her awake on the sunbed.

"Oh…hey bluebird," the dark-haired girl yawned softly, stretching her back with a satisfying pop. "How do you feel, hmm baby?"

"Better," Kara smiled sleepily, reaching out to stroke Alex's cheek, and running a hand lightly through her dark red hair. "Thanks for taking care of me, Lexie." The blonde girl leaned in and pressed their foreheads together, and they both sighed contentedly.

"Anytime, anywhere," Alex grinned, relieved to see the color back in Kara's cheeks again. She'd been so ghostly pale when they first got her into the sunroom. And she did throw up on the car ride back. Twice. Kara _really_ hated throwing up.

"So what did I miss when I was passed out?"

"I'll tell you in the car…c'mon babe, let's get out of here," Alex smiled, sitting up and pulling Kara with her, kissing her lightly on the end of her nose. Kara giggled sleepily. "It's game night."

…...

"Hey everybody! This is my new friend Lena." Kara's sunny smile was returned to its full wattage by the time all their friends arrived for game night, joined for the first time by Lena Luthor. Even though Kara didn't say her last name, they all knew full well who she was; but Kara had warned them not to make a big deal about it, so they followed her lead by acting oblivious, and greeted her just as casually as they would greet any new friend of Kara and Alex's who _wasn't_ related to the most infamous alien-murderer in history.

"Hello." Lena gave them all a brave smile, clearly nervous to make a good impression. Something about a billionaire-CEO being nervous to meet _them_ put the group immediately at ease. "It's lovely to meet you all. Thank you for including me."

"Don't be silly, we're happy to have you," Kara waved her off with a playful little eye-roll. "Lena, this is James Olson and Lucy Lane and Winn Schott…and you remember Alex." They all gave each other little nods of acknowledgement. Then the doorbell rang again, and Kara jumped up like she'd been zapped with a cattle prod.

"Pizza time! My favorite time," the blonde girl announced brightly, taking the tall stack of pizza boxes from the delivery boy and bringing them to the coffee table.

"That's quite a lot of pizza for six people. Are we expecting a larger crowd?" Lena asked, raising an eyebrow at the towering stack of pizza boxes.

"Okay, if you're gonna be friends with Kara, the first thing you have to learn is not to doubt her pizza-eating skills," Winn teased, and everyone laughed. Kara just shrugged in passive agreement.

"He's not wrong," the blonde girl grinned, handing out the paper plates and napkins. Lena stood up to accept a plate, and her eye was caught by a large, framed photo on the wall of a much younger Kara and Alex. The blonde girl had both arms wrapped around her favorite human's neck, frozen in the act of kissing her on the cheek. Alex was grinning goofily at the camera, holding a lock of Kara's hair wrapped around her finger, something she would continue doing for the rest of their lives whenever Kara pulled her close enough. Their happiness practically radiated from the picture.

"Oh my God, is this the two of you?" Lena gestured to the photo, going around the couch to examine it more closely. "Look how precious you were…I didn't realize you'd known each other such a long time."

"Yep. Seventh grade," Alex nodded proudly. "Kara moved in down the road from me when she was adopted…best day of my life."

"Best day of _my_ life," Kara argued playfully, actually pushing her pizza away to wrap both arms around Alex's neck, kissing her noisily on the cheek in an imitation of their pose in the photo. " _Awwww_ ," all their friends chorused teasingly.

"She loves me more than pizza," Alex giggled, pointing to Kara's discarded plate. "I win!"

"Don't push it, babe," Kara grinned teasingly, sitting back and grabbing for her pizza as if it might disappear.

"And speaking of the ongoing battle for most painfully adorable couple in National City—where's Lyra?" Lucy asked Winn, settling down beside James with her pizza.

"They needed her at the bar. Cleaning up the mayhem from that crazy cyborg and his chest-blaster-ray," Winn sighed regretfully. "It's all hands on deck until they can get it up and running again."

"Do you mean that alien bar? The one that was attacked today?" Lena asked, accepting a glass of wine from Lucy across the corner of the coffee table. "Is your girlfriend an alien, Winn?"

"Uh, yeah. She's Valerian."

"And she works at that bar that was attacked? I hope she's all right."

"She's fine. She wasn't there during the attack, thank God."

"Thank goodness for that," Lena smiled, and Winn visibly relaxed; he'd been afraid Lena was going to say something disparaging about humans and aliens mixing. Kara was right—Lena Luthor was nothing like her brother. "Do they have any leads on the identity of the attacker?"

"Uh…who knows? Not me!" Winn squeaked, his face immediately going red. Alex sighed. If he was going to keep working for the DEO, they were definitely going to have to give him some basic undercover training. He couldn't keep lighting up like a Christmas tree every time he had to tell a lie.

"Alex?" Lena turned to her with one eyebrow raised inquisitively. "I assume the FBI has been involved in this?"

"If I told you, I'd have to kill you," Alex replied, in a fake-serious voice. Everyone laughed. _That's how a real secret agent does it,_ she thought to herself with a note of satisfaction.

"But really…the timing of this attack was very convenient, wasn't it?" Lena persisted after the laughter died away.

"Convenient? What do you mean?" Kara frowned.

"Well…a terror attack on the only alien establishment in town, the same week the president in scheduled to come to National City to speak on his proposed alien immigration ban? If someone were desiring to skew public sympathy toward the alien population, now would be the perfect time, wouldn't it?" Lena raised an eyebrow and crossed her arms as her logic reached its conclusion. Kara made an indignant, scoffing sound.

"What exactly are you saying? An alien attacked other aliens to make the president have more sympathy for the plight of alien refugees?" Kara's distaste and disbelief in such a notion was more than clear from the way she said it.

"It's certainly possible," Lena shrugged, taking another sip of her wine.

"It's _insane_ , is what it is," Kara replied hotly, her indignation practically vibrating off her in waves. "What kind of sadistic psycho would it take to attack their own people, just to make them look more like victims?"

"I'm sorry, I didn't mean to offend you," Lena said slowly, clearly sensing that she'd touched a nerve. "I just thought it seemed suspicious. This attacker, I heard he had some kind of energy ray coming directly out of his chest. Have you ever heard of a human that could do that?" Kara clenched her teeth furiously. It was infuriating to have the whole truth available, but not be able to share it. Because of course Lena was right; human beings didn't have energy ray guns coming out of their bodies. But human-cyborg test subjects in the US military's anti-alien witch hunt? That wasn't something Kara could bring up in mixed company.

"Have you ever heard of a minority group committing hate crimes against their own people to manipulate public opinion?" Kara spat back furiously. "If we were discussing _any_ other demographic, you'd never dream of making that accusation."

"Well, aliens aren't like any other minority group, are they?" Lena countered calmly. "When a white person fears black people, or a straight person fears gay people, _that's_ ignorance…but when a human fears aliens, it's because they can kill us or mind-control us at the drop of a hat."

"Are you for real right now?" Kara exclaimed disbelievingly, oblivious to the discomfort settling over the rest of the room. Alex laid a pacifying hand on her arm. "Don't tell me you actually agree with Trump's alien immigration ban!"

"Donald Trump is a horrible little man ruled by narcissism and ignorance, and I wouldn't vote for him if his opponent were a Labrador. But on this particular issue…yes, I do agree," Lena nodded unapologetically. "We have no protocols in place for assessing alien immigrants; and in the meantime, we have no idea what kind of dangers we're allowing onto American soil. Is it safe to live and work alongside someone who can melt my face if they get annoyed with me? Or mind-control me to do their bidding?"

 _"Do their bidding?"_ Kara repeated incredulously. "You're talking about refugees like they're terrorists. And what about Supergirl? She saved your life!"

"Supergirl isn't the problem," Lena waved a hand dismissively. "But her existence doesn't cancel out the threat posed by other, less altruistic alien groups."

"I see," Kara said quietly, staring down at her pizza and straightening her glasses unnecessarily.

"I'm sorry if I've upset you…I know you're friends with Supergirl. I really wasn't speaking about her, you have to know that."

"Yeah. I know," Kara nodded, still not looking at Lena. "Just everyone else that's like her." Winn cleared his throat nervously.

"Okay…awkwardly changing the subject now," he smiled nervously. "Who's up for Charades?"

…

"I can't believe you still want to be friends with Lena Luthor after last night. I thought you were going to tear her head off," Alex snorted as they entered the DEO the next morning, rested and ready to track down cyborg-Corbin before any more innocents were hurt.

"I wanted to," Kara admitted with a sigh. "But she has the right to her opinion…and she _is_ a good person, Lex, I've seen it. She just doesn't understand. If I want to change her mind, I can't just cut her out of my life. That doesn't change anything."

"Ever the optimist," Alex smiled a little sadly, tugging on a lock of Kara's hair.

"All right folks, we have a change of plans for today," J'onn announced as he walked into the control room. "We're putting the manhunt on hold. The president is speaking publicly today in National City Plaza, and we need to be there to keep an eye on things." Kara groaned, and Alex made an outright noise of disgust.

"Really, J'onn? We're babysitting Trump, when his latest toy is still out there threatening the lives of innocent civilians? Of all the people I _don't_ feel like saving today," Kara whined resentfully.

"I know how you feel, Kara. We all do. But you know the drill—we don't choose who we protect. We go where we're needed. And for what it's worth, we _are_ protecting innocent civilians today, too. There's a pro-alien protest planned during the rally; we'll need to protect the innocents on _both_ sides, make sure things don't get out of hand."

"Yeah, okay," Kara sighed grudgingly. Alex gave her a little smile of encouragement and squeezed her hand.

"Winn, where are we on those Kryptonite-resistant suits?" The dark-haired girl asked. She was not at all loving the idea of Kara going back out there unprotected while Corbin—or Metallo, or whatever he wanted to call himself—was still on the loose.

"Ready and waiting, o captain my captain," Winn smiled proudly. His smile faltered slightly when Alex gave him a withering look. "It's…it's a poem," he mumbled sheepishly. "Walt Whitman? Okay, yeah, nobody cares. Come on, I'll show you the suits," he sighed. "We're talking one-day turnaround here, so don't get overconfident. They haven't been fully tested for durability, I don't know exactly how long they'll hold up."

"Got it," Kara nodded, clipping the little metal device onto the collar of her suit. It was very similar to the ones Non had designed for Astra's army; but just because it looked the same, didn't guarantee it would work the same. The memory of the previous day's Kryptonite poisoning was enough to make the blonde girl extra-cautious.

"Okay, alpha team—suit up," Alex commanded, nodding to her troops as they all stood and began to mobilize. Then she turned to Kara with a much softer expression. "You sure you're up for this, bluebird? At this time two days ago you were too sick to stand up."

"And then we spent the night in the sunroom," Kara reminded her overprotective wife, with a little sideways grin that said she did not at all mind being fussed over, if Alex was the one doing the fussing. "I'm fine Lexie, I promise. I'm not stupid enough to go out there with Kryptonite poisoning. Do you really think I'm that reckless?" Kara cocked her head expectantly. Alex leaned in and kissed her.

"No," the dark-haired girl murmured, her breath warm against Kara's lips. "I'm just that protective of you, baby girl."

"Poor me," Kara grinned, leaning in to steal one more kiss before they moved out with the troops.

…...

When they got to National City Plaza, everything seemed in order. There was a depressingly large crowd waiting to hear Trump's speech, holding signs saying _Take Back America_ and _Humans First_. On the other side of the ropes, though, was an almost equally large crowd of protestors, and _their_ signs were much more uplifting. While the president was speaking about protecting the country from the alien menace, Kara tried to focus on reading the signs of the protestors, the ones that said things like _We Are All Immigrants_ and _Aliens Are People_. It warmed her to see that all her hard work with Ms. Grant on their social media campaign had truly had an impact.

"Kara! Look out!" Alex's voice suddenly yelled in her ear over her Bluetooth earring. With her speed-of-light reflexes, Kara was able to dodge the glowing green fireball at the last second, flashing across the sky faster than a bullet to rip down one of the giant megatron screens broadcasting Trump's image across the city plaza, and using it to shield the protestors below. Screaming erupted in the crowd as the alien protestors panicked and ran for cover. Corbin was back. How ironic that the only people whose lives were endangered at the president's big anti-alien rally, were the aliens.

"Astra! Help Alex get everyone to safety!" Kara yelled, and her aunt nodded tersely, disappearing in a flash to help Alex on the ground. The blonde girl flew straight at the green-chested mutation that had once been human…though even as a human, he was arguably already a monster.

"Hey! _Metallo!"_ She yelled over the din of the screaming mob. "Come and get me, you big green asshole! Leave all these people alone!" Corbin looked up at her and grinned sadistically, shooting a bright green ray of kryptonite straight at her. This time, though, it bounced off her chest harmlessly, deflected by Winn's anti-kryptonite armor. It was holding, for now. The cyborg-man roared at her in rage. Kara just smiled and punched him clear across the field. When he picked himself up again, he looked across the plaza at Kara maliciously; and then, deliberately, turned and aimed his glowing green ray-gun at the president.

Without stopping to think, Kara bolted across the sky and shielded Trump from Metallo's blast, throwing her cape over both of them. Thanks to Winn's genius, the cape held strong against the Kryptonite ray. Kara blasted back with her laser eyes, not just once, but continually, the same as she had done with Red Tornado. Corbin tried to keep moving towards her; but he wasn't strong enough. Behind her, Kara was dimly aware of the Secret Service rushing the president to safety. Her field was clear now; there were no more innocent civilians to get caught in the crossfire. With a snarl of determination, Kara flew at him, punching him so hard that her hand went right through his chest. She wrapped her fingers around the burning-hot Kryptonite core of his power center, and ripped it straight out of his body. With a gurgle, the glowing light disappeared, and Corbin's eyes went wide with shock as he fell lifelessly to the ground.

"Well…I guess that's that," Kara panted, wincing slightly as she flexed her hand that had punched through Corbin's chest.

"Good job, Supergirl." J'onn came over and clapped her on the shoulder as several more DEO agents rushed to examine Corbin's body, making sure he was really dead.

"I'm just glad it's over, chief," Kara sighed, with a weary smile as Alex came up on her other side squeezed her hand in silent support. "Wanna get out of here, Lex? I think we've earned an ice cream break."

"Yes please…" Alex smiled; then the happy expression slid abruptly off her face as she gazed across the city square at a tall figure marching brusquely towards them. "Aw, fuck me. What the hell is General Lane doing here?"

"I can guess," Kara grumbled quietly, dropping Alex's hand as the General approached.

"Supergirl," he nodded to her snidely. "Why am I not surprised to find you in the middle of all this carnage?"

"You do realize, if she _weren't_ here, the carnage would still be happening?" J'onn said pointedly.

"That is open to debate, Martian," The General said snidely.

"With all due respect, General, what do you want?" Alex asked coldly. Leering at her unpleasantly, the brutish general pulled a folded paper out of his pocket and handed it to Kara.

"Just giving Supergirl her damages bill," he said smugly.

 _"Damages bill?"_ Kara repeated incredulously.

"Once again, you've destroyed an irreplaceable military prototype, costing the US government millions of dollars. You didn't think you'd get off scot-free _twice,_ did you?" Kara was so outraged, no sound came out when she tried to speak.

"Are you for real?" Alex demanded angrily. _Her_ voice was coming out just fine. "Because from where I'm standing, Supergirl has _once again_ saved _your_ ass by stopping another of your criminally reckless army toys from wiping out a crowd of innocent civilians. She should be charging _you."_

"That's not how it works, Agent Grey," the pompous general sneered at her with obvious relish. "Supergirl destroyed government property. We expect that bill to be paid in full within the week." And without waiting for a reply, he turned and marched away, smug as you please. Kara's face flushed bright red as she stood there trembling in silent outrage.

"Hey, I know you're mad, but don't forget to breathe," Alex said quietly, putting a pacifying hand on Kara's back as the blonde girl stood there in stunned silence.

"The DEO will take care of this, Supergirl," J'onn said bracingly, taking the folded bill from Kara's hand. "I don't want you to worry about it. All right?" She looked back at him with a distant expression in her shining blue eyes.

"It's never going to be enough…is it?" She said quietly. "No matter how many innocent lives I save…people like General Lane…and the president…they're only ever going to see me as scary and different."

"Fuck those assholes, babe. They're not worth your time _or_ your thoughts," Alex snarled protectively.

"I'm with Alex on this one." J'onn clapped her on the shoulder. "You did good today, kiddo. You stopped a dangerous, superhuman assassin, you saved a whole crowd of civilians…not to mention, you saved the life of the president."

"Yeah, I'll be waiting by the mailbox for his thank-you card," Kara grumbled sarcastically.

"Come on bluebird, forget about those jerks. Let's go get you some ice cream, huh?" Alex nudged Kara's shoulder and grinned encouragingly. She was rewarded with a very small smile.

"Will you let me get the monster sundae? The one with every flavor and every topping, that's supposed to be for 6 people?"

"What do you think, smartypants?" Alex teased gently. Kara's grudging smile broadened, and she laced her fingers together with Alex's.

"Okay. I accept your bribe. Let's get out of here."

…

At the end of the day, Kara and Alex were cuddled up in their pajamas on the couch, unwinding before bed with another round of ice cream while they watched the news. Kara's spirits were somewhat cheerier than they had been after the rally; several gallons of ice cream and hot fudge never failed to have that effect.

"Is the DEO really going to pay my bill to General Lane?" Kara asked as she pushed aside her last empty ice cream pint, snuggling up to Alex and pulling the fuzzy blanket up over them both.

"Of course they are. Don't even give it another thought, Kar. J'onn ordered you not to worry about it, remember?"

"Yeah…the whole thing is just so unbelievable," Kara sighed, her whole body relaxing as Alex's fingers grazed soothingly through her hair. "I guess I'm lucky the DEO has my back."

"And we always will," Alex promised, kissing the top of her head. Kara smiled sleepily. It had been a long day. But just as she started peacefully drifting off, they were both startled abruptly back to full alertness by the latest breaking news report.

"…President Trump has issued his first Executive Order, making alien registration mandatory under former President Marsden's Alien Amnesty Act. The order stipulates that all extra-terrestrials living in the United States, regardless of whether or not they have chosen to register for American citizenship, will now be required to register their name, planet of origin, and place of residence, as well as any superhuman abilities they may possess…"

"Jesus…" Alex whispered, staring at the screen in shock.

"They're coming for us, Alex…even after we saved the whole world," Kara said quietly. Her voice was so sad.

"People won't let this stand, Kara. You know they won't," Alex shook her head, her heart pounding furiously. _No one_ was coming for her girl, not while she was still breathing. "The ACLU will have a field day. This won't last, it can't."

"Do you think that's what people said when Hitler first started rounding people up for the concentration camps?" Kara asked. They fell into a brief silence, as Alex couldn't think of anything to say. Then Kara's phone rang. It was Lucy, so she picked up.

"Hey Luce, are you watching this…? Yeah. Thanks…really? Already? No, no, that's great. Fantastic. Of course we'll come. See you there." Alex raised an eyebrow expectantly as Kara hung up.

"Well? What was that about?"

"Lucy says there's a big protest happening outside City Hall. The crowd is so big, they're sending in riot cops to keep order."

"See, I told you to have faith. The people are with you, babe. This shit will _not_ stand."

"Yeah," Kara agreed, a small smile emerging on her face as she stood up and held out her hand for Alex. "C'mon, get dressed. We gotta get down there."

"Are you gonna cover the protest for CatCo?" Alex asked; but to her surprise, Kara wasn't changing into her human clothes—she was putting on her Supergirl suit.

"Not this time," the blonde girl shook her head, squaring her shoulders with fresh resolve. "Kara Danvers doesn't need to be at that protest…but Supergirl does."

"Hashtag _#AliensArePeople_ ," Alex grinned.

"Fucking right," Kara nodded, her blue eyes flashing with determination. "C'mon Lexie. Let's get down there."


	3. Poster Girl

Hello my dear ones!

Here's the next part, please enjoy. And while I totally appreciate all the faves and follows…I wouldn't _hate_ to get a few more comments too! That's part of the fun, actually hearing from you guys. Just sayin'!

Cheers,

WBB

…...

 **I'd Carry a Plane for You (Season 2)**

 **Chapter 3: Poster girl**

…...

Kara arrived at the protest by air. The crowd went insane, which wasn't a surprise. What _was_ a surprise was seeing the extreme response to the protest by the police—these weren't even regular police, it was a SWAT team, with full-on riot gear, helmets and shields and blockades all around the entrance to City Hall, as if the group of peaceful protesters chanting and holding signs were in fact an invading army. It was unsettling. Kara had been to protests before; this one felt different. Tense. Not jubilant, like the Women's March on Inauguration day had been. The blonde girl was glad she'd decided to come as Supergirl, she wanted everyone to feel safe.

The crowd opened up to make a space for Kara at the very front as she flew overhead, right by the police barricade; she landed lightly on her feet, not wanting to make a spectacle of herself by staying airborne when everyone else was together on the ground. She wasn't here for that. She was here to show the world that Supergirl was also just a person, a person who would be affected by this insane Executive Order just like so many others. She wished she could stand with Alex and their friends; but that wasn't an option. It wouldn't be safe for them to be associated with Supergirl so publicly, on camera in front of every major news network. That was the whole point.

Instead, Kara took a sign that a blue-skinned alien protester handed her reading I AM AN AMERICAN CITIZEN, and joined in a familiar chant—it was the same one that had been heard all across the country on Inauguration Day, just as applicable to aliens as anyone else. _No Hate, No Fear! Immigrants Are Welcome Here!_ But despite trying to keep a low profile, it wasn't long before Kara was approached by an organizer holding a microphone, imploring her to speak. She hesitated at first; she wanted to be part of the protest, she didn't want to _be_ the protest. But then she looked out across the crowd again—black, white, brown, purple and scaly—and caught Alex's eye. The dark-haired girl was beaming at her, and gave a little nod of encouragement, her confidence and pride in her brave little alien practically vibrating off her in waves. Alex wasn't nervous at all. Kara gulped and took the mic, floating up just a few feet above the crowd to make it easier for everyone to see her.

"Hello National City," she said tentatively over the microphone. Hundreds of people screamed and cheered and waved their _Aliens Are People_ signs. "I'm so glad to see you all here tonight…but I'm heartbroken by the reason we are here." There were nods and shouts of agreement.

"I've been an American citizen since I was thirteen years old," Kara said clearly, looking out at all the faces of her fellow citizens in the crowd. "I vote, I pay taxes. And I risk my life every day to defend this country…but it's still not safe for me to stand next to the people I love tonight." Her voice cracked a little as she tried not to cry. She just wanted to be holding Alex's hand…she was so close, it was so insane not to be able to. Cries of assent and support bolstered her resolve.

"Every one of us standing here tonight comes from somewhere else, whether we're humans or aliens…if not us personally, then our parents, or our grandparents, or our great-grandparents. That includes President Trump. We _all_ came from somewhere else." Another great roar of assent. "Aliens have been living here in peace for hundreds of years; but in secret, afraid for our safety. Afraid that small-minded people would fear us and persecute us. The simple fact that no one even realized we were here all this time, should be proof enough that we pose no threat. We just want to live, like everyone else." The crowd was going insane now, yelling and cheering and waving their signs in solidarity. Kara felt her uncertainty falling away as the support of her fellow citizens flowed through her. It was intense and wonderful, this feeling of unity with everyone; she didn't always get to feel this way, with her carefully compartmentalized existence.

"President Marsden understood that we were no different from any other immigrants…she gave us the chance to come out of the shadows for the first time, to live out loud instead of in secret. Some were still afraid, though. Afraid of exactly something like this—our own government marking us as a threat to national safety, just because we are different. Not because of anything we've done, not because of anything we believe. Because we exist." The cheering became so raucous, Kara had to pause to allow the clamor to die down. That was when a blast of bright blue light exploded at the edge of the crowd, and the peaceful demonstration immediately descended into chaos as one of the big black SWAT vans was lifted into the air in the grip of the bizarre anti-gravity ray gun being wielded by a man in a black ski mask.

People were screaming and trampling each other in an effort to get away from the frightening alien weaponry; the riot cops immediately mobilized, but they were each caught up in the hold of a similar weapon, held by faceless men in matching black ski masks. Kara dropped the microphone and flew across the stampede, using her laser vision to zap one of the anti-gravity guns. It exploded in the man's arms, and he dropped like a rock from the force of the explosion. A nearby officer immediately cuffed him. But when she tried to zap the next gun, her laser vision was blocked by some kind of forcefield. Kara had never seen anything like this. How was she supposed to fight bad guys who had forcefields?

Not about to just give up, Kara flew across the city square in a blur of speed, spinning around the forcefield-protected bad guy fast enough to create a visible centrifugal force; allowing her to see, and feel, that the barrier was not giving the man complete 360-degree protection. It was a unidirectional shield only. Smirking a little, Kara zoomed down behind the man—who was clearly dizzy and disoriented from the momentum she had just created by zipping around him—and exploded the device from behind with her laser vision. Bad guy #2 dropped.

"Did you really think this was a good idea, dude?" She taunted him with a cocky smirk, gaining confidence now. Unfortunately, she may have been tad premature, as a sudden blast of purple energy from yet another ray gun caught her in the back, and sent her smashing down from the sky, into the concrete. People screamed and scattered to avoid the flying debris. Kara was momentarily winded, her muscles burning and seizing up from whatever that purple energy ray was made of. But she gritted her teeth and shot back into the sky, meeting the next purple blast with her own blast of freeze breath, which pushed back against the ray gun until it overtook the man holding it, freezing his feet to the ground and immobilizing him.

Whipping around in a circle, the blonde girl assessed the scene and determined that there were no more bad guys. She dropped lightly to her feet on the sidewalk with a sigh of relief. Then a SWAT cop approached her; but rather than thanking her for her help, as she was expecting, he grabbed her wrist and slapped a kryptonite handcuff onto it. Where had NCPD gotten kryptonite-lined handcuffs from?

"What are you doing?" She yelped, too surprised to react for a moment. But when he tried to pin her other wrist behind her back to cuff it too, her self-preservation instinct kicked in, and she yanked her arm back.

"Stand down, Supergirl. You're under arrest," the policeman barked, attempting to cuff her other wrist again and immobilize her.

"What? Why?" Kara exclaimed in shock, jerking her hand back from the cop's grip again. She may not be able to break through kryptonite-lined cuffs once they were on her…but they weren't on her yet.

"Disturbing the peace and resisting arrest."

"Disturbing the peace? I just saved your squad from a gang of terrorists! And how can you arrest me for resisting arrest, I wouldn't _be_ resisting if you weren't already trying to arrest me!" Kara yelled angrily, the color draining from her face as the close proximity of the kryptonite sapped away her strength. She'd gone through so many rounds of kryptonite poisoning in the last few days, it was really starting to take a toll. "You don't have the right to do this!" She exclaimed indignantly. In answer, the cop pulled out a glowing green kryptonite nightstick, and hit her hard across the face. Kara staggered back dizzily; the people around her cried out in terror and fury. If civilians started attacking the police to defend her, there could be a legitimate riot. She could feel the situation spinning out of control. Where was Alex?

"On your knees! Now! Hands on your head!" The cop yelled at her. Terrified at what could happen if the situation escalated any further, Kara obeyed. Cameras were flashing all around. Her stomach twisted into a painful knot. Even though she knew she hadn't done anything wrong, she felt ashamed. Everyone was looking at her, on her knees with her hands on her head like a criminal, with a burly riot cop standing over her. _Where the hell was Alex?_

"Hey! What do you think you're doing?" Detective Sawyer—Maggie, Kara remembered her—had emerged from the crowd and was yelling at the cop putting Kara in handcuffs. "Are you out of your mind? This is _Supergirl!"_

"She's disturbing the peace," the man snarled unrepentantly.

"Really? Because _I'm_ pretty sure she just saved your ass from some serious off-world weaponry. Take those cuffs off her _now."_ Maggie was so much smaller than the burly man in his all-black riot gear; but she still outranked him, and she stood her ground fearlessly. Kara decided on the spot that she would trust Detective Maggie Sawyer unconditionally from this point forward.

"I don't take my orders from you, Detective. Take it up with the SWAT Captain," the riot cop said unapologetically, holding Kara by her wrists, cuffed firmly behind her back now, and dragging her roughly to her feet.

"Oh you can bet your ass I will," Maggie snarled at him. She looked at Kara, and her expression immediately changed to one of calm, commanding reassurance. "Don't worry Supergirl, I'll get you out of this." Kara just nodded gratefully, sick with anxiety over the safety of all these people, some now being arrested by the swarm of black-clad riot cops. Because of her. They were trying to come to her aid. She felt like this was all her fault, even though she'd only done what she always did, stopped the bad guys from hurting anyone. How could this be happening?

"Thank you," Kara panted slightly, looking at Maggie with anxious blue eyes, her heart pounding in her chest. "Can you please find"—but before she could even finish her request, Alex was finally there, her dark eyes blazing with stone-cold fury.

"FBI. Stand down and take those cuffs off her _now,"_ she snarled at the black-clad riot cop; but he was already pulling Kara away with her hands behind her back, immobilized by the kryptonite cuffs. He just flat-out ignored her. "Hello! I just gave you an order, officer! Do you want to get yourself suspended?"

"We've been through it already," Maggie huffed angrily, glaring at the man's smug expression of indifference to their authority. Was it because they were women? Or simply because he was viewing them as alien sympathizers? "This jerk is too dumb to realize we both outrank him. We gotta find the SWAT captain." Alex just nodded, all her cocky bravado from her last encounter with Detective Sawyer going right out the window as they were now united in their goal to help Kara avoid arrest.

"I'll be right behind you, Supergirl," Alex promised, her dark eyes shining as she poured all her love into that one look, since she couldn't speak freely. She hated having to call Kara _Supergirl,_ it was so silly and fake—but it wasn't safe to do otherwise in front of all these people. Especially in front of the anti-alien SWAT team that had the love of her life in kryptonite handcuffs.

"First make sure everyone else is safe," Kara begged, on the brink of tears as she watched all the protesters, alien and human alike, being manhandled and handcuffed and shoved into black SWAT vans. "All these people, Alex…"

"Okay. We will," Alex promised, unconsciously making herself a team with Maggie Sawyer. "Don't worry. This is all completely illegal, we'll have you out of there in a hot second. Promise." Kara just nodded, too overcome to speak. Alex watched the gruff cop haul her baby girl away, and gritted her teeth in silent rage. Cameras flashed everywhere, people were screaming and crying and being pepper-sprayed.

"Well, you heard the lady," Maggie nudged Alex out of her silent seething. "Time to be super-cops and get all these people out of being arrested. C'mon."

…

Kara couldn't believe how ashamed she felt being taken away in handcuffs and put into the back of a patrol car. News cameras followed her to the precinct, where she was shocked to find a special kryptonite-lined cell ready and waiting, just like at the DEO. How long had NCPD had this? Was it meant specifically for her? Who else in National City could it possibly be intended for?

Since there were, obviously, no other prisoners being held in the special kryptonite cell, Kara was alone with her thoughts for several hours, while she assumed—or at least hoped—that Alex and Maggie were down the hall working on her release. It was infuriating not to be able to see what she wanted to see, not to have her x-ray vision or any of her other powers available to her. The kryptonite levels in this cell were _way_ higher than the settings the DEO used; whether it was because the NCPD wanted her to suffer, or because they just didn't know what they were doing, who could say. All Kara knew was that she was weak and nauseous and shaky in the knees for the third day in a row. She was really, _really_ over this. Curling up on her side on the flat metal slab that was supposed to serve as a bed, she just focused on breathing and trying not to throw up. She must have fallen asleep, because the next thing she knew, Maggie Sawyer was gently shaking her awake.

"Where's Alex," Kara mumbled sleepily.

"She sent me to be your paparazzi bodyguard," Maggie smiled grimly, her expression slightly apologetic. "She said you shouldn't be seen leaving the police station together with all these news cameras around…not if you want to hang on to that whole secret identity thing."

"She left without me?" Kara asked in a small voice. She looked like she might cry.

"Only to keep you safe." Maggie gave her a reassuring little half-smile and squeezed her shoulder. "I gave her my address, you can come back to my place and she'll meet us there, okay? I figured you probably aren't feeling up to flying right now."

"Why are you helping me?" the blonde girl asked blankly, rubbing her eyes in relief as the Kryptonite containment field was powered down, and the sickly green light disappeared. She still felt like crap, though.

"Gee, can't think of a reason. Not like you've ever helped anyone else," Maggie teased lightly, with a little smirk. Kara grinned weakly back.

…...

It took a long time to get to Maggie's apartment; the tough Latina girl was wary of anyone following them, and she took about a hundred unnecessary turns, making absolutely sure they weren't being tailed before finally pulling up to her building. Kara had changed into some of Maggie's old clothes in the car so she wouldn't stick out walking into the building. Alex was pacing the hallway outside the detective's apartment when they arrived, looking slightly unhinged.

"Hey," Kara sighed heavily in relief, dropping limply into Alex's arms and closing her eyes.

"Hey…you okay bluebird?" Alex asked protectively, hugging her tight. "I'm so sorry I left you there, I'm so fucking sorry…I just didn't think it was safe for us to walk out together in front of all those cameras…"

"Yeah, well that was probably a smart decision," Maggie smirked at them, raising an eyebrow knowingly. "The last thing Supergirl needs is to be gaybashed by the morning news shows on top of all the rest of this bullshit."

"Who said we were gay? Maybe we're just really good friends," Alex challenged, raising an eyebrow icily. They _had_ just been friends for over ten years, after all. Maggie laughed and shook her head as she unlocked her front door.

"You remember that I'm a detective, right? I detected. It wasn't hard. Supergirl might not be wearing a wedding ring, but you are, Agent _Grey-Danvers."_ Maggie said her last name with emphasis. "So now I know Supergirl's last name too…as in, CatCo's fledgling ace reporter? Kara Danvers, I presume?" Kara and Alex both stared at her like they'd had a piano dropped on their heads.

"Do we have to flee the country now?" Kara asked sheepishly.

"Oh, relax. You think I would've helped you sneak out of there if I was planning to out you?" Maggie snorted, shaking her head in amusement as she threw her jacket over a chair. "You guys want a beer or anything?"

"Um…I'm good…thanks," Alex said slowly, stunned at the kindness of this cop who was clearly more than she seemed. "Sorry I was a bitch to you at that crime scene the other day."

"Ahh, it's cool," Maggie waved her off. "You were busy protecting your girl."

"…Yeah," Alex nodded, her eyes still wide with wary disbelief. Kara looked equally stunned; but she also looked kind of happy about it. Kara was always happy to not have to keep her secret around someone.

"Hey Maggie…do you like board games?"

…...

When they finally dragged themselves home to their own apartment an hour later, Kara and Alex discovered they still weren't alone—Lucy and James, and Winn and Lyra, were there waiting for them, with hot pizza and potstickers already on the coffee table.

"Winn, we gave you that spare key for _emergencies,"_ Alex rolled her eyes; but she couldn't really be mad, not with the euphoric expression on Kara's face at the sight of the food.

"This _is_ an emergency," Winn spluttered. "The National City PD has gone insane. The least we could do was provide pizza and moral support."

"I'm not complaining," Kara beamed, diving straight into the food like she hadn't eaten in days. Kryptonite poisoning was exhausting.

"We actually still have one friend on the force," Alex told them, helping herself to a potsticker. "Maggie Sawyer, from the science division. She knows who we are, and she didn't tell."

"She _what?"_ Winn squeaked, looking like his eyes were going to pop right out of his head. Kara laughed.

"It's cool, really. You'll see. I invited her to game night next week," the blonde girl grinned over her pizza.

"You're bringing in another newbie?" James asked, not freaking out like Winn, but still looking wary.

"She could have outed me, but she didn't. That makes her our friend," Kara said firmly. "Besides, now Lena has a partner for Taboo. I felt kind of bad last time that she was the odd man out."

"Kara, I'm not sure setting up your new friend is a good enough reason to bring a cop into our top-secret shenanigans," Winn shook his head, still looking very antsy. "You _do_ realize how bad things could get for you if she changes her mind…or if she decides to blackmail you?"

"Dude. Chill," Alex snickered at Winn's overly serious expression. "Maggie's one of the good guys, okay? We can trust her. She even helped Kara get out of the station tonight when she was too weak to fly…we really should go spend the night at the DEO, Kar. You need your sunbed." Kara whined petulantly.

"I am _so_ done with DEO sleepovers, Lex," the blonde girl groaned. "I feel like I got run over by a tank, I just wanna go put on my pajamas and cuddle. Pleeease don't make me spend another night in the cave."

"I'm sorry bluebird, I really really am…but you know you need your sunshine. You've had three rounds of major kryptonite poisoning in the last three days, I can't believe you're even still standing." Alex kissed Kara's temple and stroked her hair pacifyingly. Kara sighed crankily. "And we can still cuddle in our pajamas," the dark-haired girl added pacifyingly.

"Can I at least finish my pizza?"

"Of course, baby." Alex smiled sympathetically, and Kara leaned in and kissed her.

"Thanks for being here, guys…I really am glad you came. I feel so messed up about everything that happened tonight…" Kara trailed off, staring at her pizza. Aside from her very brief stint as a sadistic, brainwashed psycho courtesy of the Red K, she'd always had a good relationship with the NCPD. She was one of the good guys. She was a damn hero. She'd never expected them to go and lock her in a kryptonite cell.

"That was seriously fucked up, Kara," James shook his head. "It's all over the news already, people are flipping out."

"In a good way or a bad way?" Kara winced, looking like she wasn't sure she wanted to hear the answer. "Like they're mad at me? Or like they're mad at the cops?"

"Some of both. But most people are on your side. Did you really think they wouldn't be?" Lucy asked sympathetically, with a grin. Kara shrugged.

"I don't know _what_ to think…I never thought anything like this could happen."

"Yeah, too right. If Supergirl's not safe, the rest of us are bloody done for," Lyra nodded darkly.

"Hey, c'mon now. None of that talk," Winn shook his head, wrapping an arm protectively around his girlfriend's shoulders. "This was an isolated incident." The heavy silence that followed made it pretty clear that no one actually believed it.

In the midst of the awkward silence, Kara's cell phone rang; seeing that it was Ms. Grant, she picked up.

"Hi Ms. Grant, I'm sorry I haven't called, I know you were probably worried…" Kara trailed off, her stunned expression making them all very curious. "That's…really? Are you sure? Yes, of course I'll be there! Are you actually letting me use my vacation days?" The blonde girl's smile made the rest of the room relax palpably. When she hung up, they were all practically jumping out of their seats.

"So, are you gonna tell us what that was about?" Alex cocked her head impatiently.

"We're going to New York, Lexie," Kara grinned, some of the sparkle coming back into her blue eyes. "Trevor Noah wants me to come on the Daily Show."


	4. Running Home to You

Hello darling Superfans!

After a very action-packed beginning, here is a nice fluffy chapter for your enjoyment. I know the last few chaps were a lot more action-oriented than usual…there was just a lot of stuff that had to get set up for the rest of the season. Thanks for your patience. Now we can get back to the super-sweetness we know and love.

A/N: All Kryptonese words are courtesy of the officially-unofficial Kryptonian Dictionary, at . The song in this chap is the one Grant Gustin sings in the adorable Supergirl/Flash musical crossover ep, "Duet"—aka the "don't forget we were all on Glee!" episode. The song is called "Running Home to You," and if you haven't heard it, go listen now! It's sweet and beautiful and hearing the music will only deepen your imagination-experience when reading the chap. Enjoy my dears. And don't forget to keep giving me your feedback!

….

 **I'd Carry A Plane for You (Season 2)**

 **Chapter 4: Running Home to You**

….

Kara was alone on the balcony of a high-rise Midtown Manhattan hotel, comfortably curled up in a lounge chair with a blanket, looking out at the dazzling lights of the New York City skyline. It was peaceful, somehow…even surrounded by the frenetic energy of several million people crammed together on a small urban island, there was a tranquility to it all, a pulse that everything seemed to move to, like the city was one big living creature. Kara decided she liked it.

"Hey…you have another nightmare?" Alex yawned softly, shuffling out onto the balcony in her light pajamas, just a spaghetti-strap tank top and a pair of soft grey sleep shorts. She shivered a little as she rubbed her eyes.

"C'mere," Kara grinned softly, holding the blanket open with a familiar, protective glow in her blue eyes. Alex grinned sleepily back, and crawled into Kara's lap, giving a contented little sigh as she curled up with her face resting against the curve of the blonde girl's throat. Kara wrapped her arms around Alex under the blanket and played with her hair. They both looked out at the city lights together.

"Hmm…you're always warm," the dark-haired girl sighed, pressing her face into her solar-powered alien's soft skin, and rubbing one hand over her bellybutton. "Like a kitten."

"Meow," Kara smirked teasingly in the darkness. Alex grinned and raised her head, leaning up on one elbow a little and drawing her other hand up from Kara's stomach to cup her face. The blonde girl leaned in magnetically, and they traded sleepy kisses in the moonlight.

"…You never answered my question, sneaky kitty."

"What was the question?"

"Did you have another nightmare?" Alex prodded gently. Kara sighed and looked away.

"Hey, c'mon now, don't do that. You don't get to protect me from your pain," Alex said firmly, taking Kara's cheek in her hand again and forcing her to make eye contact.

"What about my spazzy flailing fists? Can I protect you from those?"

"Is that why you got up?" Alex's dark eyes were suddenly full of remorse. "You won't let yourself sleep because you're worried you're gonna have a bad dream and clock me?!"

"It's happened before," Kara mumbled darkly.

 _"One_ time. In seventh grade," Alex cooed reassuringly, threading her fingers soothingly through Kara's blonde hair.

"One time is all it takes. One time could kill you," Kara replied in a small voice, letting Alex see the worry and fear in her eyes.

"That's not gonna happen, bluebird."

"How do you know?" Kara pressed.

"I just do," Alex shrugged, smiling serenely, calm in her utter confidence. She leaned in and kissed her fretful little alien between the eyes. "Like in tribal cultures, how moms who sleep next to their baby in the bed never roll over them and squish them to death." Kara rolled her eyes, but her mouth betrayed her by pulling into an unwilling smile.

"Is one of us a baby in this metaphor?"

"We both are…we both take care of each other," Alex replied smoothly, snuggling back down against Kara's warmth and rubbing her face contentedly into the blonde girl's hair. "That's the deal, you know." She ran her fingers over Kara's wedding ring deliberately. "You have to sleep, babe. Even if you have bad dreams…I'm right here with you. Please don't run away. Just talk to me."

"I'm really scared I'm gonna hurt you, Lex," Kara whispered, her voice trembling slightly. "I keep having this horrifying dream that General Lane comes into the DEO to take me away, and J'onn and Astra and Winn and, and everyone, they just let him…and you're never there, I'm scared he hurt you…and no one will help me. In the dream I'm always fighting, as hard as I can, fighting for my life. Do you know what could happen to you if I punch you in the face as hard as I can while I'm asleep?"

"You've been having this dream for a week, Kar. You haven't punched me. You're not really fighting, it's just a dream," Alex hummed reassuringly, rubbing Kara's stomach under the blanket.

"It only has to happen once," Kara whispered despondently, staring off at the city skyline again.

"It did happen once. Thirteen _years_ ago. And I'm still here," Alex sighed, smiling reassuringly as she picked her head up one more time, kissing Kara lightly on the lips. "I'm still here, baby…I'm right here," the dark-haired girl hummed. Kara wrapped one hand into Alex's dark red hair, pulling her gently back down for another kiss, deeper this time. They shifted against each other under the blanket, all other thoughts falling away as Kara's hands slipped under Alex's flimsy tank top, and pulled it up over her head.

"Beautiful girl…" Kara murmured, grazing her teeth across her baby's silky skin, that always smelled like heaven, even when she was sweaty and gross.

"Take me back to bed," Alex purred, her hands wrapping tight into Kara's long hair—so tight it would've been painful for anyone else. Not for Supergirl, though.

"As you wish, Princess Lexie," Kara smiled, levitating quickly to her feet with Alex's legs locked around her. The dark-haired girl giggled, wrapping her legs tighter around her unbreakable wife's slim waist.

"You be on top," Alex murmured as Kara approached the bed, grazing her teeth against the blonde girl's warm throat.

"Hmm, twist my arm why don't you," Kara growled happily, floating up over the bed with Alex held tight in her arms, and laying her down on her back, still hovering teasingly just a few inches above her. Alex just made a soft little whining sound, her hands running down Kara's body and raking her nails over the smooth skin. That was all the encouragement the blonde girl needed to forget her airborne teasing, and land lightly on top of her baby girl.

 _"Ra͡ʊp ʒa͡ʊ,"_ Alex whispered into Kara's mouth, holding her tight by her long blonde hair.

"I love you too," Kara murmured back, resting her forehead briefly against Alex's as they moved against each other, feeling each other's heartbeats pounding through their skin. "I love you, Lexie…"

…...

It was another similar warm summer night when thirteen-year-old Kara fell asleep in Alex's arms, in her new earthly home, enjoying one of her favorite activities on her newly adopted planet—a sleepover with her best friend. At first Kara had felt embarrassed about how much she wanted Alex in her bed, almost every night; she thought it made her seem childish and weak-willed, unable to sleep alone on her new planet, so desperate for comfort and reassurance from her very favorite human.

But Alex had been quick to reassure her that this was a normal part of life on Earth, and there was nothing wrong with having sleepovers every weekend if that was what made her happy. Kara would have preferred every _night_ to every _weekend;_ and by eighth grade, when they were more settled into their lives together and confident, they would begin sneaking into each other's bedrooms at night with far greater frequency. But for now, Kara was still timid of breaking rules and getting in trouble, and she limited herself to parent-sanctioned weekend sleepovers. They were almost always at the blonde girl's house in the beginning, since her room at the Danvers' had lead-lined walls, which helped her handle her heightened senses enough to fall asleep until she learned better control.

Lead-lined walls couldn't keep out nightmares, though. As much comfort as it gave her to fall asleep in Alex's arms, pressed up against the warm, steady beat of her heart, Kara still had bad dreams sometimes, as her subconscious mind tried to process the loss of her world. When she was awake, she tried not to think about it; but that didn't keep away the nighttime visions of Krypton exploding into white-hot stardust in front of her. If anything, pushing it down during the day just made it push back even more stubbornly when she closed her eyes.

This time, Kara's dream revolved around her parents trying to force her into the pod as the planet shook and cracked around them; but Kara wouldn't go, she wouldn't. She was screaming and begging, _Don't leave me,_ _I won't go, please don't make me go_. Fighting as hard as she could.

Then, suddenly, she jolted awake in her bed in Midvale, shaking and covered in sweat; and Alex was sobbing on the floor, curled up in a ball and holding both hands over the side of her head, a small pool of blood collecting on the carpet. There was blood staining the corner of the bedside table, too.

"Alex!" Kara gasped, her sleep-fogged blue eyes going wide with horror as she scrambled out of bed and down onto the carpet beside her best friend's shaking body. _"Eliza! Help!"_ Kara screamed, pulling down the sheets and wadding them up into a ball to push against Alex's bleeding head wound. "Lexie, I'm sorry, I'm so so sorry…I was dreaming, I didn't mean it…" The light flicked on, and Eliza and Jeremiah came charging in, alarmed by the panicked sound of Kara's scream. They understood at once what had happened.

"Kara, sweetheart, look at me. Breathe," Jeremiah said soothingly, his voice calm and steady as he pulled Kara around by the shoulders to face him. Tears were streaming down her face, her eyes wild and unfocused until they finally locked on the reassuring gaze of her foster dad.

"I d-didn't mean to hurt her," the blonde girl whispered brokenly, her eyes drawn unwillingly back to Alex's shaking body curled up on the rug, with Eliza now applying a pressure bandage to her bleeding head. "I was dreaming…"

"It's all right, Kara. She'll be all right. It was an accident," Jeremiah said firmly, holding her chin in his hand and forcing her to look up at him. "We just have to take her to the hospital now, she needs some stitches. It's going to be fine, sweetheart. Take a deep breath." Kara felt a hot lump of shame drop into her stomach. They shouldn't be wasting time comforting _her_ …they should be comforting Alex.

"P-please just help her," the blonde alien girl sniffled, wiping her eyes on the back of her hand.

"We will, just relax. It's going to be fine, all right? Alex, honey, you're gonna be okay," Jeremiah said soothingly, scooping the dark-haired girl from Eliza's arms, now smudged with Alex's blood. "Get the car," he said quietly to his wife. "Kara, honey, grab your jacket. And Alex's. Come on."

The trip to Midvale Memorial was a blur to Kara; all she saw was Alex, curled up with her head leaning limply against the blonde girl's shoulder while Jeremiah held pressure against the bloody cut on her temple. Kara held her hand and sang to her softly to distract from the pain; it seemed to help her distract _herself_ from her crushing guilt, too, if only for a moment. Once they got to the ER, it turned out not to be as bad as Kara had thought, from all that blood; only five stitches. That was still five stitches more than she ought to have.

While Eliza went to call Mr. and Mrs. Grey, and Jeremiah was getting coffee from the hospital cafeteria, Kara sat at Alex's bedside with her arms wrapped tightly around herself, scared to even touch her best friend. All she wanted was to wrap her sweet girl up in her arms and beg forgiveness; but that was selfish. What _she_ wanted didn't matter now. Alex was hurt, and it was her fault, and nothing could change that. Kara didn't bother wiping away the tears sliding silently down her face until Alex opened her woozy hazel eyes, and her sleepy voice broke the silence.

"Don't cry, bluebird."

"Lexie…are you okay? How do you feel?" Kara sniffed, wiping hastily at her eyes as she realized her best friend was awake.

"I'm fine, Kar. Really. It only hurts a little," Alex smiled bravely; but Kara could see her wincing through the smile. A fresh bolt of guilt stabbed right through the blonde alien girl's stomach.

"You don't have to lie to make me feel better. I should be the one making _you_ feel better," Kara sighed, wiping the tear tracks guiltily from her face.

"I'm not lying, bluebird," the dark-haired girl murmured, holding out one arm. "C'mere, come cuddle me…"

"Are you kidding? Do you have a death wish?" Kara snorted, shrinking back with her arms wrapped tight around herself again, like anything she accidentally touched might explode.

"It wasn't your fault, Kar. You were asleep," Alex said firmly, still holding the blankets open with one arm. "And you said you wanted to make me feel better…so come here. _Now."_ Warily, Kara climbed into the narrow hospital bed, and Alex curled up against her, resting her face against Kara's warm collarbone and closing her eyes with a soft sigh.

"Is that good?" Kara asked gently, her guilt momentarily taking a back seat to the more immediate goal of giving Alex comfort, in any way possible.

"Mm-hmm," the dark-haired girl murmured. She had a black eye forming; not on the side where the bloody bandage was, but the opposite side. That was where Kara had hit her, sending her head smack into the corner of the nightstand. It made the blonde girl's stomach hurt just looking at it.

"Will you put your hands in my hair? That makes me feel better…" Alex yawned softly, and Kara obeyed without a word, her fingers grazing lightly through Alex's dark red hair and tenderly rubbing her scalp, staying far away from the injured area. They stayed like that in comfortable silence for a minute.

"I'm so sorry, Lexie…I'm so, so sorry," the blonde girl whispered finally, and Alex could hear the tears welling up in her voice again.

"I know, Kara. Shh, I know…please stop torturing yourself, it was an accident. You have PTSD, you had a bad dream. It could have happened to anyone," Alex hummed softly, nuzzling up to Kara's throat and rubbing her stomach gently.

"Yeah right," the blonde girl mumbled darkly. "Don't worry, I learned my lesson…next time we have a sleepover, I'll sleep on the floor. I won't hurt you. Not ever again."

"What? No!" Alex cried, pushing herself up on her elbow to look Kara in the eye, even though it caused her a stab of dizziness. "You can't do that, Kara!" The blonde girl was shocked to hear the tears welling up in her best friend's voice now.

"I don't want to, Lex. I _have_ to," Kara shook her head regretfully, running one hand slowly through Alex's soft, shiny hair to soothe her. "If I ever hurt you again…"

"You _won't,"_ Alex said fiercely, her dark eyes blazing with conviction.

"You don't know that," Kara shook her head miserably, tears of regret welling up in her exhausted blue eyes again. "I can't take that chance…"

"Kara Zor-El, look at me right now," Alex growled, holding Kara's chin in her hand so she couldn't look away. "We are not going to let one nightmare ruin our lives. Got it? And refusing to let me sleep next to you would hurt a thousand times worse than a few stitches. We're both okay, bluebird. I won't let anything change that…I promise. Do you believe me?" The blonde girl smiled through her tears, not pulling back when Alex wiped a few away with her thumb.

"I believe you," Kara nodded shyly. "I'll always believe you, Lexie."

…

"Ladies and gentlemen, we have a great treat for you tonight. You know her as the girl of steel, the caped crusader, protector of truth, justice and the American way. In her first-ever television appearance, please welcome—Supergirl!" Trevor Noah stood up and beckoned Kara out from her waiting spot just behind the door to the backstage area, and she walked out waving at the live audience, who were going completely berserk with cheering. The blonde girl beamed at the people cheering her, with a full-on, thousand-watt Supergirl smile lighting up her face.

Trevor held out his hand, but Kara hugged him instead. He must have felt how fast her heart was pounding, because he whispered in her ear, "Just breathe, you'll be great. They already love you."

"Thanks," Kara whispered back shyly, and he squeezed her shoulder before ushering her to her seat. It took a minute before they could get the studio audience quieted down again. Kara saw that many of them were holding up homemade signs saying _We Love You Supergirl!_ and other enthusiastic messages of support.

"Welcome to the show, Supergirl," Trevor nodded to her as he took his seat across from her. "We are so honored to have you here, all the way from National City."

"Thanks Trevor. I'm happy to be here too. New York is amazing!"

"This is your first visit to the city, yes?"

"That's right," Kara nodded.

"And what's been your favorite thing so far?"

"The food," Kara admitted sheepishly; and everyone laughed. "Yeah, no one who knows me will be surprised about that. So far we've tried the world's best potstickers in Chinatown, the best pizza in the West Village, best barbeque in Chelsea, best burgers in Times Square…not just the _world's_ best, actually. Best in the galaxy!" Kara grinned like the cat that ate the canary, and everyone laughed again.

"Well on behalf of the entire city, we humbly accept the 'Galaxy's Best Food' title," Trevor winked at her. "I did notice that you said 'we' just now, in regard to your city-wide food tour—so Supergirl has a travel buddy? Is that a family member, a boyfriend perhaps?" Kara could feel the energy in the room shift, as the audience became still and silent, eager to hear her answer.

"I wish it was safe for me to tell you all about the wonderful people I have in my life," Kara smiled a little sadly. "But you know I can't do that, Trevor. It wouldn't be safe for them. That's sort of the whole point of this." She gestured to her Supergirl suit.

"Any bad guy wishing to attack National City, or hurt you personally, would only have to kidnap or threaten your loved ones to force you into submission."

"Exactly," Kara nodded.

"And now that list of bad guys includes, potentially, the NCPD and the United States government," Trevor prompted. Kara hesitated, chewing thoughtfully on her lip.

"There are…certain people and offices in the military and law enforcement arenas who for whatever reason, see me as the enemy," Kara said slowly. "One in particular who's tried to have me killed, more than once. But I don't think he had any legal sanction for that; it was his own personal vendetta."

"And now?" Trevor prompted her again. "In light of your very public arrest last week, and the revelation that your own city's police force has created a kryptonite holding cell, presumably intended for you alone?"

"That…kind of broke my heart," Kara admitted, her voice becoming a bit softer as the memory flooded back. "I've been protecting National City for over a year now…I saved the whole planet from Myriad. My cousin's been protecting Metropolis for over a decade. Now all of a sudden it's 'vigilante justice?' I don't understand what's changed," Kara shook her head. The young host raised his eyebrow at the audience knowingly, and everyone laughed a little.

"I think I know one thing that has changed," Trevor offered. Kara grinned a little sadly.

"Yes, I know…President Trump is no friend to alien refugees. Or any type of refugees, for that matter. I just never thought it would go this far."

"I don't think any of us did," Trevor said sympathetically. "Tell me—when you save thousands of innocent civilians from a terrorist attack, only to have your actions be characterized as criminal activity, 'disturbing the peace'…does it make you regret risking your life to help the very people who are persecuting you? Even just a little?"

"Oh, no—no way," Kara shook her head vehemently, looking shocked at the question. "When you have the power to help people…you can't imagine how it feels to just sit back and let bad things happen around you. That was my life growing up, I wasn't allowed to use my powers, it was supposed to be for my own protection. I made a choice when I first put on this suit—the choice to help people. Period. Choosing who gets to be rescued and who doesn't…that's not what heroes do. That's what dictators and tyrants do." The audience roared with cheers again, and Kara smiled shyly.

"I think they like you answer," Trevor teased, causing a few more claps and hoots. "Now, the protest where the terrorists attacked—that was a demonstration against President Trump's first Executive Order, requiring all Extraterrestrials to register with the US government."

"Yes," Kara nodded.

"And you were there as part of the protest—before the terrorist attack even happened."

"Yes," Kara agreed again.

"This was your first public political act as Supergirl, wasn't it?"

"As Supergirl. Yes," the blonde girl nodded. "But I've been to protests and demonstrations before…I was at the Women's March on Inauguration Day. Just, without the cape and boots." She grinned, and the audience laughed and cheered again.

"So what motivated your decision to change that now? Critics, of course, are saying it's a deliberate manipulation of public opinion, using your fame to support a political cause. And of course, that it's an act of self-interest."

"Who shows up for a political cause that _isn't_ in their own interest?" Kara asked rhetorically. Trevor laughed.

"Indeed, very true."

"As for using my fame for a cause…celebrities do that all the time. I never have before because I never wanted _Supergirl_ to be the story. I want the story to be the story. You know?"

"Yes. Absolutely," The young host nodded, to more scattered cheers.

"But now…Supergirl _is_ part of the story, there's just no way around it. I take this cape off, and I'm a person…I go to work, I pay taxes, I have people I love. I'm a person who's affected by this crazy Executive Order." More cheers, louder and longer this time.

"And what would you say to those who hold the view that any alien who is a law-abiding citizen has nothing to fear from this order—that it's intention is only to weed out those who are dangerous?"

"I'd say that being arrested for stopping a terrorist attack doesn't feel like nothing to fear."

"Well said. And I suppose you're still not going to tell us if you have a boyfriend?"

"Aww, Trevor, you need a date for Saturday night huh?" Kara teased, playing off the question as she had done countless times before. The good-natured host laughed and clapped her on the shoulder, and the audience laughed too.

"That's all the time we have for tonight, unfortunately. Thank you so much for being here with us, Supergirl." He shook her hand, and the crowd burst into wild applause again. Kara felt herself blushing under the bright lights of the studio cameras as she waved out at the people one last time.

…

Though The Daily Show aired at 11pm, the taping was finished by 7, giving Kara and Alex one more chance to experience another night out in New York City before flying home in the morning. Kara wanted to try Korean BBQ, so they took the train to Herald Square and walked a few blocks to Koreatown, where Kara stunned another group of waiters with her ability to eat four or five different entrees all by herself. Finally they paid their bill and headed out for phase II: Karaoke. (Or _Kara-oke_ , as Alex liked to say.)

There were a ton of karaoke bars right in the neighborhood where they ate; but they didn't just want any old karaoke bar, they wanted to go to a New York City gay bar. So they took a leisurely walk uptown to Hell's Kitchen, until they got to a glowing pink neon sign that just said RISE. Even though it was only a Tuesday, the place was packed; possibly because it was karaoke night. Kara put her name down, but she wasn't overly surprised when Alex declined—the dark-haired girl had a gorgeous voice, but she was awfully shy about singing in front of anyone but Kara. Getting up on a real stage and singing into a real microphone in front of a hundred strangers was definitely not on her to-do list. But she loved watching Kara sing, and experiencing a super-gay night out in New York was sure to be anything but boring. Alex decided to let loose a little, and ordered a Jack and Coke. Kara's head practically exploded when she saw that the bar offered a whiskey-bacon milkshake. Even though she couldn't feel the effects of alcohol, she still ordered it virgin; she'd never really liked the taste of booze.

The MC was an adorable boy in chunky hipster glasses, a sweater-vest and bow tie, who went by the name of _Mr. Wonderful_ ; and by the way he introduced some of the singers, and the reactions of the crowd, it was clear that many of them were regulars. They ranged from not bad, to flat-out jaw-dropping amazing, and for a minute Kara actually felt a little nervous about singing in front of this very impressive crowd. But then she just reminded herself of who she was _really_ singing for, and the nerves turned into happy butterflies dancing around her stomach.

When Mr. Wonderful finally called her name, Kara bounced up excitedly onto the stage, and whispered something in his ear; he nodded and winked at her, and she gave him her phone with a smile. Then she turned and waved to her audience, for the second time that day. But this time without the cape and boots—she was just a person here.

"Hi everybody! I'm Kara. And this is my first time in New York."

"Yeah!" The crowd cheered and hooted, definitely more raucous than the studio audience at the TV taping had been.

"This is a song that a friend of mine wrote…he gave me special permission to sing it for you." She didn't bother telling them Barry's name, because they wouldn't be able to look it up unless they had a search engine for alternate dimensions. Smiling widely, Kara found Alex's dark eyes in the crowd, and locked onto her. "This song is for you, Lexie…all my songs are for you." She gave Alex a little wink, and a chorus of _awwww'_ s drifted up from the crowd. Mr. Wonderful plugged Kara's phone into the sound system, and she picked up the microphone and began to sing, just to Alex. Everyone and everything else just fell away.

"This world can race by far too fast, hard to see while it's all flying past. But it's clear now, when you're standing here now…I am meant to be, wherever you are next to me..." Alex looked like she was going to cry…but it was the good kind of crying. The audience had fallen completely silent, spellbound by Kara's voice; she really had no idea how good she was. Alex knew, though. The dark-haired girl basked in the glow of her beautiful, perfect little alien's love; it was intoxicating, the feeling of having all eyes on her girl, all of them wishing to be the one she was singing to. But Kara would never sing loves songs to anyone else. All of Kara's songs were for Alex.

"All I want to do, is come running home to you, come running home to you… And all my life I promise to, keep running home to you, keep running home…to you." The audience screamed with applause, which became even wilder when Kara came down from the stage and wrapped Alex up in her arms for a heart-stopping kiss.

"You…are such…a romantic," Alex sighed, grinning like an idiot when Kara finally stopped kissing her.

"Baby, I am just getting started being romantic," Kara grinned back wickedly, rubbing her thumb in little circles over Alex's hip as she thought of the sea of rose petals she'd instructed the hotel bellhop to leave on their freshly-made bed that night.

"Maybe we should go back to the hotel now?" Alex asked, feigning innocence as she gazed up wistfully at Kara and batted her dark eyelashes.

"Maybe we should," Kara agreed, kissing Alex again and nibbling on her bottom lip before she let go. "…But first can I just have one more bacon milkshake?"


	5. On Hiatus

ON HIATUS

Hi Supergang. This is a notice that I am taking a hiatus from this story until after Orphan Black is over. If you don't know what I'm talking about, then my GOD go watch it right this minute. If you do know what I'm talking about, then congrats, you can jump on the USS Cophine post-hastey! Promise I am not abandoning Kara and Alex. Never. But they don't need my attention right this second, and there are currently only 5 eps left of Orphan Black EVER, and Cosima and Delphine are possibly my favorite real-canon couple in the history of time…and Cosima really is the best thing that has ever happened to queer girl fandom, like ever. Ever ever. Check back here in a couple months k? And in the meantime, pass the intermission with me and Cosima and Delphine! :)


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